Future Plans
by IShouldBeHome
Summary: Sam is granted a peek into his future and is a little confused at what he sees.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This was a head canon I had that I needed to write out, and I decided to make it a multi-chapter fic. Feedback is glorious, and I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>She was wearing his ring.<p>

She was actually wearing his ring. And she broke into his locker to get it. He could not resist the epic fist pump building in his bones, and he was off the ground in seconds, an enormous grin spread across his face. He started off a little shaky, but this year was looking fantastic. He had the Titans and the Cheerio, perfect ingredients to being_ important_. People at this school would look up to him, root for him; he'd have friends. A boat load of them.

Sure, he'd have to sacrifice a couple things, or keep them behind closed doors, like comic book talk and fictional languages, but everything else was perfect, including his girlfriend. He walked to the parking lot after retrieving his backpack with a smile still on his face at the thought of moving on after high school with Quinn and living the American dream: a house in the suburbs, a bunch of blond kids running around, and still being the most admired couple in the community. He'd spend his life on top.

Sam's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a middle-aged man in a long coat leaning on his truck. He slowed down, but didn't stop walking until he reached the area.

"I don't have any money on me," Sam said, smiling apologetically. The man's coat was pretty beat up, and he couldn't help but assume he was just a beggar.

"I know." The man stood up straight and grinned, revealing surprisingly straight, white teeth.

"Okay…well if you don't mind, I gotta get home," he said, trying to ignore the scary feeling the man gave him.

"I'm sure you can spare a couple minutes of your time." It wasn't a question. The feeling in Sam's stomach grew, like a watermelon ripening and pushing against his inner walls uncomfortably.

"Look, I don't know what you want, but…"

"It's about what you want, Sam Evans." That shut him up. The man continued. "You know how you want your future to play out, right?"

He knew his name? Sam was confused, a bit frightened, but above all, curious.

"Well yeah," he said, shrugging.

"But we can never really control our futures, can we?" the man asked. Sam rolled his eyes and shrugged. He was waiting for the point.

"I mean, no, obviously. But I have a general plan." The man nodded at Sam's answer and he grinned again, his eyes twinkling.

"What if I told you I could show you your future?" Sam didn't answer. He just raised an inquisitive eyebrow. The man went on.

"For fifteen minutes, I can show you your life thirteen years from now. Do you want that?" the man asked, stepping closer.

Sam took a step back.

"Why thirteen?"

"Is that a yes?" Sam was quiet for a moment. He'd definitely seen enough movies and read enough comics and seen enough episodes of the Twilight Zone to know that these things could happen. He then considered the possibility of this man being insane. What did he have to lose? If he says yes, and the man is crazy, he loses nothing. If he says yes and the man is telling the truth, he could see how his life turns out with Quinn. But if he says no, he'll spend all month thinking about it.

"Yes," Sam replied, finally. The man immediately held out his fingers.

"Touch your fingertips to mine."

Once Sam followed the man's directions, his surroundings went black.

* * *

><p><em>Sam opened his eyes only to shut them again quickly. He took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light and opened them again. The windows were covered with sheer white curtains, not nearly enough to mask the blinding sunlight shining through them. He blinked repeatedly and moved his attention to the alarm clock on the bed stand, which read 6:00 AM.<em>

Fifteen minutes_._

_He suddenly realized that he was holding onto something. He looked down to find his arm wrapped around a woman. Her skin was chocolaty, but she smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. Like some sort of awesome dessert pastry. Her hair was dark, and disheveled from sleep. He noticed the wedding ring on her hand, and he noticed she wasn't Quinn._

_He'd been holding onto her tightly and was pressed flush against her, as if he'd spent all night in that exact position. She shifted and his eyes widened at the realization that just weeks prior, he'd shifted chairs in Glee club to get a better view of this girl's leopard clad backside during a mind-blowing rendition of River Deep, Mountain High. He was married to Mercedes Jones and it was confusing the hell out of him._

_Suddenly, like a cannon ball to knock him out of his inner monologue, the door burst open to reveal a pint-sized caramel skinned, wild-haired brunette boy clad in Superman pajamas bounding toward him. The boy jumped up and landed on the bed, continuing to jump up and down while sporting a toothy (or toothless) grin._

"_YOU'RE AWAKE!" the boy screamed. Sam winced and nodded. He stared at the boy and saw that he was looking into eyes that mirrored his own in appearance._

"_WELL COME ON!" Sam finally removed his arm from around Mercedes and sat up, rubbing his eyes._

"_Come on where?" he asked the boy._

"_DADDY! It's Christmas! Santa came!" the boy said, waving his arms around to emphasize the importance of the event. "Why isn't mommy awake yet? MOMMY!"_

_Mercedes stirred a bit before opening her eyes and looking at the alarm clock. 6:06 AM. She laid there for a second before sitting up, mirroring Sam's position and looking at her son._

"_It's too early," she said, yawning._

"_No it's not! I woke up an hour ago and I've been waiting! It's time to get up! Santa got you something too!" he said, winking at an oblivious Sam. He'd gone to the jeweler's with his dad a month ago to find the perfect gift for Mercedes. He knew Santa was real, but he also knew Santa didn't bring gifts to old people. He wasn't going to tell his mother though._

"_Really? Santa brought _me _a gift?" she said, smiling. The boy nodded enthusiastically. _

"_So come on!" he said, as he began to jump up and down again._

"_Okay, okay! Just give me and Daddy two minutes," she said, holding her arms out. The boy let out a heavy sigh, but got off the bed anyway._

"_TWO MINUTES," he said before leaving._

_Mercedes ran her fingers through her hair._

"_I forgot to wrap my hair," she said holding it up. Then she looked at him with a smirk on her face. "I blame you."_

_It was a lot for Sam to take in, and he still didn't really trust himself to say much, so he shrugged and let out a nervous laugh._

"_Anyway. Good morning," she said, smiling. It was contagious, and he found himself returning it genuinely._

_She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, catching him off guard. He tentatively kissed back anyway, liking the feeling more with each passing second. When she began to pull away, he put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her back in and deepening the kiss. The feeling and taste of her lips against his was enough to make his eyes cross, and technically she was his wife, so why the hell not._

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><p>"Sorry, you're not my type." At the sound of a voice that didn't belong to Mercedes, Sam opened his eyes and realized he was back in the McKinley parking lot, standing across from the creepy man in the long jacket with his lips puckered. He quickly turned red and recoiled, dipping his head. It didn't occur to him to look back at the clock, considering how busy he'd been at the moment.<p>

"Uh, sorry," he mumbled, still looking at his shoes. When he heard no response, he looked up and saw the man was gone.

Sam didn't move though. He ran his fingers through his hair and leaned against the truck in deep thought. How in the hell would he end up married to Mercedes Jones? He'd never even spoken to her. He'd smiled at her a few times, but she was just a nice girl in glee club.

This seriously screwed him up. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about what he saw, the big bedroom, the woman in his arms, the adorable little boy that called him Daddy…

Another thing he knew from his extensive knowledge of sci-fi was that he couldn't screw with his destiny. People try to do it all the time, and it just gets messy. So he'd have to try and go on as if he hadn't seen his future. Before he saw, he had every intention of being with Quinn. How did that work? And he liked Quinn, hell he intended to love her someday. She was perfect.

But now Mercedes would keep entering his thoughts. Twenty minutes ago, he's been jumping up and down about his Cheerio girlfriend wearing his promise ring, and now all he could think about was another girl. He was already emotional cheating! He couldn't break up with Quinn, though. He couldn't mess with fate, just like when Alisha couldn't break up with Curtis for Future!Simon in Misfits.

He couldn't help worrying about what would inevitably end his relationship with Quinn Fabray, though. He hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

><p>Things were going smoothly with Quinn. She was just as pretty as ever, and even though she wasn't a Cheerio anymore, people still bowed down to her, and he still considered them to be on top. Just because things were going well didn't mean he still didn't feel guilty about imagining Quinn's lips were someone else's whenever they made out. He felt guilty, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.<p>

Sam shut his locker and noticed Mercedes further down the hall digging books out of her own. She was struggling to reach something, and he was by her side in a flash, grabbing the book she'd been stretching for.

"There you go," he said, smiling. She looked confused, but her expression quickly changed to a grateful smile.

"Thanks Sam." He nodded and silently fought away thoughts of her in lingerie. Since he'd seen it, there was really no going back.

"Did you need to talk about something?" she asked after a few moments of silence between them.

"Uh, no. You just looked like you needed help," he said, shrugging. She nodded.

"Well thanks again."

"We should hang out some time," he said finally, biting his lip. She looked over her shoulder to establish that he was indeed speaking to her.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why?"

"I don't know. We're in glee club together and I barely know you? You seem cool, and you laughed at my James Earl Jones impression that one time, so you know quality entertainment…" That got her to laugh.

"I guess…I was going to get a coffee after school, and you're welcome to join. Bring Quinn," she said, smiling.

"Awesome," he said, smiling big.

He knew he wasn't supposed to tamper with or accelerate the future, but he wanted to know more about this girl. Why did he marry her? There couldn't have been any rules against becoming her friend. And so what if he had no intention of inviting Quinn?


	2. Chapter 2

"I could teach you sometime," Sam said, grinning and taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"As great as that sounds, I'm not exactly sure where or when Na'vi would come in handy for me," Mercedes replied, smiling and shaking her head.

"Oh, you know…at the hardware store…buying groceries…scoring phone numbers at football games…oh! Spur-of-the-moment trips to Pandora." Mercedes threw her head back and laughed heartily before putting her hand over her mouth to stifle it.

Sam just watched her, beaming as she tried to collect herself. In that short moment, he would have sworn to jump off cliffs if it meant he could hear her laugh as much as possible. She finally leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and sipping her own hot chocolate.

"So you'll consider it?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll consider it, Sam," she said shaking her head and smiling at him.

"You could teach me something too. Like…how to do that one move you did during Duets week." In his head, it was supposed to be funny, but when she looked confused, he immediately regretted not opting to say something obvious like _vocal runs_ or _how to convey the proper diva attitude_.

"What move?"

"The one…" He knew he'd have trouble trying to politely explain which move he meant.

"The one…" she said, repeating him. A smirk was threatening to appear at the corner of her lips and Sam caught it. He suddenly realized she knew exactly what move he was talking about. Fine; if she wanted him to say it, he would say it.

"The one where you shake that ass," he deadpanned. Her smirk made its full appearance and she shook her head again.

"Did you particularly enjoy that move?"

"Hell yeah," he said, not missing a beat. Her eyes widened at his bluntness, and he was surprised by it as well. Something about being around her made him honest, even if it was inappropriate. Her expression went back to normal and she took another sip of her drink.

"I'd teach you, but I'm not sure you have the goods." Sam gasped histrionically.

"Are you kidding? Look at this," he said, standing and turning around, making a point of sticking out his backside. She was already roaring with laughter, but he went on.

"This is quite a lot to work with. I _have_ an ass, Ms. Jones. It may not be as magnificent as yours, but I have the goods." She was still laughing.

"Okay! Will you sit down?" He grinned and complied, scooting his chair back up to the small table.

"So it's settled. I teach you Na'vi, you teach me how to shake my ass."

"I never actually agreed to any of that."

"What! But…" She laughed again.

"You look like a little kid." He gave an exaggerated pout and finished off his hot chocolate. She smiled and suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. "Quinn couldn't make it?"

"I'm not enough for you?" he deflected. She rolled her eyes.

"One might even say you're too much."

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><p>Sam wasn't sure what he was more upset about. Letting his girlfriend convince him she got mono from Finn because she almost choked on a gumball, the fact that she'd been cheating on him right under his nose, the fact that The Beiber Experience was a wasted effort, or the fact that Santana had basically told him they were now dating.<p>

He didn't exactly turn her down, but he didn't exactly say okay, either. But he learned that not saying no was the same as saying yes in her mind. So if they were dating now, so be it. At least he'd have something to say to hurt Quinn's feelings when he broke up with her. That sounded bad, but _his_ feelings were hurt, and if he could hurt hers just a little, he would. And honestly, he figured she wouldn't care. She'd get over the shock of the break up and go off to continue making out with Finn.

His desire for popularity was waning, but it wasn't gone. Santana was an ex-Cheerio, and that was more than enough to keep an image up.

But of course, his heart wasn't in it. His heart was on coffee dates and movie nights laughing until its insides hurt, eating Doritos and take-out with a sassy brunette with an affinity for loud patterns.

He wasn't in love. He knew it would be unfair to assume that the feelings he'd developed so quickly for Mercedes meant love, because he _knew_ she was the one for him, but he only knew because he got to cheat and look at his future. It was confusing for him because he knew how she made him feel, but if he said he loved her, would he just be saying it because he knew he'd fall in love with her? Or was he really falling in love with her? It was a mindfuck, to say the least.

It didn't help that Sam had always been cursed with a tendency to jump the gun. He had no idea what to do in this situation pacing-wise. Should he be dating Santana? That scenario kind of fell in his lap, but was it supposed to?

"Long day?" Sam looked up from his current position (face down on the table) to see Mercedes standing above him, holding her purse and some books with her head tilted. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the library, but he'd come there to think, and the result was his brain temporarily detonating. All of that was quickly forgotten, however. His tired and gloomy expression had easily transitioned into a smile at the sight of her.

"You could say that," he mumbled. She took a seat across from him and set her books down.

"I figured."

"You figured? Why, what did you hear?" he asked, sitting up straight.

"Oh, just that Quinn cheated on you with Finn, you dumped her, and not two minutes later, you're dating Satan herself. Unless anything else happened," she said with a half-smile.

"Don't judge me," he said, realizing how bad it sounded out loud.

"I wasn't going to." She was still smiling at him, and he stared back. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just looking at each other.

"I could really use a Futurama marathon to ease my troubles," he said, finally breaking the silence.

"What a coincidence, I happen to have the box set!" He fist pumped and she laughed and stood to leave with him following suit.

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><p>Weeks later, after a night of making out with a weeping Santana, jamming to impromptu performances, getting smashed and praying he would land on Mercedes during Spin the Bottle and coming up short, it was time to leave Rachel Berry's home. Santana wanted to leave with Brittany, which confused him, but he was fine with driving home alone. He'd waited long enough to where he could see fairly straight, but his judgment was still cloudy.<p>

He unlocked his truck and opened the door on the driver's side but didn't get in, because the girl exiting the Berry's front door had caught his attention. Did Mercedes have a ride?

"Hey you!" he shouted, grinning. She looked over in his direction and smiled before making her way over. "Do you need a ride?" he asked, once she stood in front of him.

"I do!" she said cheerfully. She was still out of it like him, but she was walking straight.

He ran around his truck to the passenger side and opened the door. He then ran back to where she was standing and picked her up bridal style. He carried her around, sat her down in the seat and closed the door. She was giggling the whole time.

"To the Jones house," he said once he was inside the vehicle. He started the engine and pulled off, knocking over a trashcan on the way.

"Don't kill us…" she said. Her words were cautionary, but her tone and voice were playful.

"Never! I'm an excellent driver," he said, heading to her house and straddling lanes.

When he pulled up in front of her house, he stopped the car.

"I'm sad, you know," he said after moments of silence. She poked her bottom lip out.

"Why is Sammy sad?" He liked hearing her call him that. The familiarity warmed his heart.

"I didn't get to kiss you tonight." He was always on the verge of doing it sober, and now with a bit of liquid courage, it was a wonder he hadn't just done it already. Her lips were seemingly always on his mind since that kiss with her in his future. Every kiss since then had paled in comparison, and he just wanted the feeling again.

"I wanted to kiss you too," she said, smiling.

That green light was what he'd been waiting for, as he wasted no time in unbuckling his seat belt and leaning over to kiss her jaw, bottom lip, and entire mouth. She kissed back with as much enthusiasm. It should have been sloppy, awkward and uncoordinated considering their current positions and inebriation. But it was smooth, fluid, and passionate.

"Call me Sammy again," he said after pulling away, breathing heavily.

"Kiss me again, Sammy," she responded, her eyes staring into his, then traveling to his lips. She didn't have to ask twice before he captured her mouth with his again. When his tongue begged for entrance, she let him in willingly.

Even when they needed air, Sam didn't let up. He wanted to savor this; to remember them, right here, like this. They finally parted, both gasping for air but with pleased looks on their faces.

She leaned forward and pecked his lips before opening the door and sliding out of the truck. He would have accompanied her to the door, but he was in a trance. All he could do was touch his lips and stare. When she was safe inside, he drove home staying the in the middle of the lanes, using his turning signals and stopping at all the stop signs, almost completely sobered from the experience.

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><p>Sam had a funny feeling walking into McKinley the next morning. He was one hundred percent sure he'd done something he shouldn't have. He felt like a lot of kissing went down, but shrugged it off; because it <em>was<em> a party, and he was pretty sure they played Spin the Bottle. But he felt strange. Good strange, like something awesome happened, but he was awful at remembering things he did when even a little tipsy.

He met the rest of the glee club in the hallway, where Artie was distributing Bloody Marys. As soon as he'd seen Mercedes, he was about ninety five percent sure he kissed her, and it excited him. The five percent of uncertainty lay in the fact that he'd dreamt about doing it on many occasions, and it could have been another, though vivid, dream. When they locked eyes, she gave him the most pleasant smile her hangover would allow.

Sam fought off a frown. Her smile was the pleasant, oh-look-it's-my-cool-friend smile. Not the we-made-out-and-I-totally-loved-it smile. He expected her to either avert her eyes from remembering, or the give him the aforementioned smile. He did not expect her to look like nothing happened.

After school, and the disastrous _Tik Tok_ performance, he caught up to her in the parking lot, as he hadn't had a chance to get her alone all day.

"Hey you," he said, trying to act and sound normal.

"Hey Sam. What's up?" she answered, searching her purse for her keys.

"Last night was crazy, huh?" he asked, hoping to trigger something.

"Last night? Hell, _this morning_ was crazy. I know I already said it, and then broke it, but I am never drinking again. Seriously this time," she said, finding her keys and pulling them out.

"I feel the same way." He tried to hide the disappointment he felt. She obviously blacked out and didn't remember a thing. "On another note, we hanging out this weekend?"

"Name the time and place," she said, smiling and heading off to her car.

Sam sighed and looked at the sky. Maybe this was good. Kissing her was a slip up, and it was a good thing the memory was murky to him; otherwise he'd obsess over it. More than he_ already_ was, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is getting embarrassing," Sam muttered, licking the cream off of an Oreo and dropping the rest onto the plate. He was still wearing his shirt from the Born This Way performance, as he'd come straight to the Jones household from school. Mercedes was in a different t-shirt and leggings because she'd gone to change shortly after he arrived, but not before handing him a paper plate and a pack of Oreos.

She'd re-entered the kitchen to find him with his head on the counter. She walked over and leaned across from him.

"What's getting embarrassing?"

"My relationship failures. Having one girl cheat on me is enough, but _two_? Come on. I'm not even sad, just offended. It's just rude. It's really enough to kill my self-esteem," he said, lifting his head from the tile and looking at her.

"Not gonna lie, you kind of walked into that train wreck."

"You're supposed to be making me feel better, Mercedes." She smiled and shook her head.

"I know what'll make you feel better," she said, winking. His eyes automatically traveled to her chest and he snapped his gaze away when he realized he was staring. She didn't seem to notice.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, sitting up straight. She nodded.

"Let's go to my room." She walked around the counter and grabbed his hand, leading him upstairs.

Had this been last night's dream, they'd be attached at the mouth, stumbling over the steps until they reached said room, at which time clothes would be ripped off and legs would be spread.

But this was simply Friday, and once he'd settled on her queen sized bed, she went over to the television and pulled out Shaun of the Dead. This would make him feel better because he needed to laugh, but after the flashback to his fantasy, it was bittersweet.

"You know me so well," he said, smirking. She smiled and bent over to put the DVD in, and he looked everywhere in the room _but _where he wanted to. She took the remote off the tv stand and stood again.

"Come sit next to Papa." He grinned and patted the spot next to him. She laughed at him, but obeyed and scooted up so her back was against the headboard.

By the time the movie ended, Sam and Mercedes found themselves in a position a bit more intimate than they were used to. They usually sat a safe distance apart with their legs crossed; close enough for good friends. He now had his arm wrapped around her and his legs intertwined with hers. Her head rested in the crook of his neck and he traced the lines on her inner palm.

"Where are your parents?" he asked, continuing to make invisible drawings on her hand.

"Boston," she replied calmly. He didn't question why they were in Boston, for her parents were usually at conferences, business trips or galas. The life of a dentist and a lawyer, he guessed.

"So you're alone for the weekend? Why didn't you throw a party? We could have called Rachel and had her bring some wine coolers over," he said, smirking into the top of her head. She laughed.

"Shut up, Sam." She was still laughing, and when it died down she moved her head to look at him. "I was gonna make dinner. Suggestions?" He immediately felt like they were married, and took advantage of it.

"Well the kids are gone, so we have room to get experimental." She raised a confused eyebrow before realizing that he was playing around and chuckling.

"Crawfish it is," she said.

"Not _that _experimental," he responded, scrunching his nose up.

"Aw, why not?"

"Because I bust my ass all day working, and the least you can do is spare me disgusting sea food," he countered.

"Hey! I work all day too. This is not a one-sided marriage," she said narrowing her eyes. He subconsciously tightened his grip on her and looked thoughtful.

"But you have a Grammy, woman. You've hit your prime, time to start waiting on me hand and foot. That includes not making dinners I don't like." The next thing he knew, he was being smothered with a purple pillow, then hit repeatedly with it.

"I was kidding!" he yelled in between strikes. She stopped after about ten more. "But seriously, you get a Grammy and I get crawfish? It's a little unfair. We can at least compromise," he added, smirking.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. Sam's casual tone and complete confidence that she was important in the music industry, even if they were just joking around, made her stomach flop. When he talked about her being famous, he never used the words "if" or "possibly" or anything like them. As far as he was concerned, her being a star was a given. The fact that he believed in her so strongly and so easily almost made her _want_ to marry him.

She suddenly blushed at the thought, confused and embarrassed; _confused_, because Sam was her friend. He was slowly becoming her best friend. She never had much luck with girlfriends, and her only stable one was Tina. She always seemed to fall in better with guys, and she blamed it on being raised in a house with three boys and countless men, from cousins to uncles or "play" uncles. But she was having feelings for Sam, and they confused her. Why did she feel this way about her friend all of a sudden? She was _embarrassed_ because instantly she was afraid it was showing and Sam could see it.

"I get a Grammy and you get a million kids idolizing you for your writing. So let's not act like I get all the good things in this house."

Sam's expression softened and he took the pillow from her hands.

"You think I'm a good writer?" he said quietly.

"Of course I do. I actually read those comic book outlines you emailed me," she said, letting out a small laugh.

"All of them?" They'd gotten to talking a few weeks prior and he blurted out that he wrote his own stories for comics sometimes. He told her he had heroes, villains, love interests, and everything in between mapped out. He did it when homework frustrated him, or when he was feeling self-conscious due to his dyslexia. Writing the stories helped him forget about anyone judging him or bad things happening. She instantaneously demanded he send her some through email. He couldn't choose which to send, so he sent everything he'd ever written, at least on his computer, for her to pick from.

"Yes, all of them. They were so good, I kept wanting more!" She giggled. "Speaking of which, if you've written anything new, send them my way."

He didn't laugh, he just kept staring at her. Finally, he released a dry chuckle.

"You _seriously_ think millions of kids will look up to me?" He said it as if it was laughable, and she couldn't possibly be serious.

"No," she replied. Even though he expected her to be joking, hearing her answer made his demeanor drop. Of course she didn't really like them. He wasn't smart enough to write anything epic.

"I know it for a _fact_," she said, finishing. He looked up suddenly, his eyes wide. She was grinning. "You're amazing, Sam. And because of that, you can't con me out of crawfish."

"Salmon?" he suggested after internally screaming at himself to speak instead of continue to stare at her in awe. "Come on, that's a good compromise."

"Fine. Salmon," she said, getting up and heading to the bedroom door.

He was definitely falling for her, but he settled on not saying it out loud or dwelling on it. It had been confirmed, and he wasn't to think about it anymore. Also a good compromise.

* * *

><p>"<em>Is that what we're calling it now?"<em>

It had been a month since Sam saw Mercedes in an un-educational setting. He hadn't even spoken to her, really. He didn't know how to talk to anyone. Getting kicked out of his house and moving all of his possessions into a motel room seemed to happen in seconds, the events ripping past him and smacking him in the face in the process. His parents hadn't told him they were struggling because they didn't want him to worry. One day he was happy and ignorant, the next, well _this_.

He was so angry at the situation, he simply cut the world off and focused on getting a job. He ignored her texts inquiring if he was okay and brushed past her in the halls. His dreams reliving that Christmas morning in bed with her and his beautiful son even diminished in frequency; he used to have them every night.

Through a series of uncontrollable events, Kurt and Quinn were brought into the loop, each helping him in any way they could. He wanted Stacey to find a little bit of happiness in the shitty circumstances, and he saw Quinn as the perfect opportunity for girl stuff to keep her entertained, because he knew she didn't really enjoy watching him and Stevie read comics all night. Everything was wasn't a necessity was sold, and Kurt was lending him clothes. He didn't even stop to think that the two meeting him late nights at a motel would look bad. Even when the rumors did start flying, he wasn't going to speak up; he only wished the students of McKinley High would soon learn to mind their own damn business.

When Mercedes spoke those words in glee club in the midst of everyone accusing him of fooling around with Quinn and Kurt, they hurt, but he sort of felt like he deserved them. He'd cut her off with no explanation, when just a month prior, they'd been thick as thieves.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Yeah…"

"Yeah."

Sam and Mercedes stood across from each other next to her car. He ran into her on his way to leave, and he honestly didn't really have the time to talk, but stopped anyway. He had work in two hours, and has to sell his truck.

"I'm sorry," they both blurted out at the same time.

"What are _you_ sorry for?" Mercedes asked. It was less like she was asking a question, and more like she was scolding him for even fixing his lips to say those words.

"I shouldn't have ignored you. I know it made you feel bad. And I'm sorry for not confiding in you, because I know it hurts your feelings that I didn't," he answered. He knew her. She had this tendency to try and be Wonder Woman.

She sighed and looked to the ground.

"Well, I'm sorry for believing for a second that you would do those things with Quinn and Kurt instead of trusting you when you said you weren't. I was frustrated, and it clouded my judgment. I mean, you're not even bi," she said, rolling her eyes more at herself than anything. He smiled as he was filled with the familiar warm feeling of being around her, and for a second he saw a ray of sunlight in the shithole his life had become so quickly.

"Can I give you a ride?" she asked. She'd noticed he was walking home lately and didn't make anything of it. She was mad at him, what did she care? Now she realized he probably sold his truck.

"You don't have to," he said. She gave him a look that was pure Mercedes, wordlessly telling him to get his ass in the car. He chuckled and walked around to the passenger side.

She unlocked the door and they both got in and buckled up.

"Where to?"

Those two words brought Sam crashing back to reality, because his answer wouldn't be _my house_, it would be _The All American Hotel_.

When he didn't give an answer, he was brought back to the present by her hand on his knee. He gave her a sad smile and told her where to go.

"Call me if you need_ anything_. I'm serious. Do not continue this pride thing. Anything from me is not pity. It's me being the best friend I can be, and knowing you'd do the same for me," she told him when they'd arrived at the motel.

He wanted to kiss her, but he settled for reaching over and hugging the girl.

"Yes ma'am," he replied when he pulled away.

* * *

><p>Being reduced to such modest living had made Sam blunt. Rachel presented him with Chap Stick, which he was grateful for, but she was met with an automatic no when she asked him to prom. He realized right away how bad it sounded and fixed his statement by saying he didn't think he was going, which was true: he couldn't afford it. When she asked if he was afraid Finn would be jealous, he successfully held in a laugh. When he saw she wasn't going to accept his answer he honestly told her she wasn't his type, thanked her for the lip chap (a Southern term that slipped through the cracks), and walked away.<p>

If he was taking anyone, it would have been Mercedes, but that wasn't happening because he could barely afford hot lunch in the cafeteria. He was mentally kicking himself when she walked out of the glee meeting the next day. She was upset no one asked her, and all he could do was stare at the back of her head.

Enter the three-way date, his saving grace. He'd get to take Mercedes to prom without breaking the bank. Sure, he had to take Rachel too, but he didn't _hate_ her. She was nice, just nowhere near his first choice. By the day before prom, it was clear God was smiling on him and attempting to grant him_ some_ happiness with the appearance of Jesse St. James, making him Mercedes' date by default. He got to spend the night singing and talking to her at their table.

When Rachel took the mike for a slow number, he'd been leaning against a wall near the punch by Mike and Tina. They started making out, and he got bitter, only because he wanted to make out with the girl he was close to in love with. It was then he noticed her at their table. Alone. He wondered if slow dancing would tempt him and push him to change their status from friends to something a lot more.

Just like that, Sam recognized he was an idiot. He was sad and single, and she was the only thing that brought joy to his life. Regardless of whether or not he'd seen the future, the universe was sending him a sign. He made his way over to the goddess in purple with every intention of making this night memorable for both of them.

"So."

"So."

"Yeah."

"Right."

"Why is this awkward?" Mercedes asked, laughing nervously. They were standing on her front porch.

"Because I want to kiss you and you want to kiss me, but we're acting dumb," he answered. There was that bluntness again.

Hey eyes widened, not in shock, but in awe at his mind-reading. Maybe there was a _little_ shock due to the fact her feelings seemed reciprocated one hundred percent, but she was more pleasantly surprised than shocked.

At first Sam wasn't entirely confident she wanted him too, but at the way she kept biting her lip and looking at him _that way_ on the way to her house, he became sure of it.

"Oh," was the best Mercedes could come up with.

Deciding there'd been enough chit-chat, Sam grabbed her arms and wrapped them around his waist before gently cupping her face and pulling her lips to meet his own. He took in the taste of her lip gloss, his tongue gliding across her lips, prompting her to open them and let him in. His eyes fluttered closed as he thought if he could trap this feeling in a jar and keep it forever, he would. He tucked fallen hair behind her ear and went in to kiss her again, again, and again.

When they finally parted completely and looked at each other, he took her in.

"Like Christmas morning," he said quietly, the phrase having more meanings than one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! For some reason, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Something happens that a lot of people have been asking about, so I hope you enjoy it too! Also, ** I didn't focus on their time in New York because I've read tons of fics that focus a lot on it and I didn't want it to affect my writing. Sorry for any mistakes I missed! ****

* * *

><p>Sam sat on Mercedes' couch with her in his lap, watching the Lifetime movie on the screen and absently making various invisible patterns on her thigh.<p>

"Wait, so she's not pregnant?" he asked. "Chip please." Mercedes reached into the chip bowl on the side table, grabbed a couple and put them in Sam's open mouth.

"No, she has cancer," she said to answer his question. He finished chewing and swallowed.

"That sucks…why are we watching this again? I thought we were watching Edward Scissorhands?"

"It looked interesting!" Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed the remote from her hands.

"I can't take much more of students seducing teachers and ladies getting pregnant with cancer," he said, changing the channel to Cartoon Network. MAD was on.

"I don't like this show…" she mumbled.

"I'm gonna have to agree with you," he replied, shutting the TV off and tossing the remote to the other side of the couch.

Mercedes looked up at him and he stopped stroking her thigh to look back. He leaned in and kissed her long and slow, lifting the hand on her thigh to her hip to pull her closer.

"Salty," she said when they parted. He grinned and licked his lips.

"Are you excited for New York?" he asked, interlocking his fingers with hers.

"Of course I am. It's New York and I've never been. We won't be able to do much, but it's still amazing." She smiled as she thought about what the experience would be like, and all the sites she wanted to see. "Actually, speaking of which, I need to go finish packing."

"How is it I'm done packing and you aren't? We leave tomorrow for God sakes," Sam countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I was getting to it, but then you called and wanted to come over!"

"Do not use me as an excuse, Missy. You should have been done a long time ago." She smacked him in the head and moved to get off of his lap, but he pulled her back down by her hips.

"You need to let me go," she said, rolling her eyes. "I need to go pack because I'm trifling, remember?"

"Can I help?"

"Fine, just let me up." Beaming, Sam let go of her hips and followed her when she got up and went upstairs to her room. She had an empty suitcase on the bed, but it was surrounded with folded clothes, showing that she was in fact getting somewhere before he showed up. She went to the bathroom and came back with toiletries, putting them into the separate compartment of the suitcase and zipping them up. Sam grabbed random folded articles of clothing and put them in neatly and she began doing the same.

"Aye carumba," he said, holding up one of her bras. He held it out and stared at it in awe, and Mercedes watched him with her hand on her hip.

"You know, I thought about the possibility of you doing this, but I hoped you were mature enough to just pack the underwear and let it go."

"But you know me, and you know there was no way of that happening," Sam said, now holding the cups against his chest. "I am so jealous." Mercedes laughed loudly and gave him a look that was purely 'What the hell?'

"I'm sorry, you're jealous of my breasts? I'm not sure how you'd look with a pair of your own," she pointed out, smirking.

"I'm jealous of your _bras_," he corrected. "This fabric has been _against_ your boobs for hours on end. _Touching_ them._ Supporting_ them."

Mercedes howled with laughter, putting her hand on the bedpost to hold herself up and held the bridge of her nose with two fingers.

"Oh my God. What the hell am I going to do with you?" Sam blushed. He was still holding the bra against him.

"I don't know, but you're stuck with me forever, so…" he trailed off, shrugging.

"Is that so?"

"Yep. And you can't fight it, 'cause it's destiny. I've seen it myself." Suddenly, Mercedes' eyebrows were drawn together in confusion.

"What do you mean you've seen it?" Sam bit his lip. He was just going with the flow of the conversation and didn't think to censor himself when it came to the subject of their future. He didn't intend to slip up and tell her about the fact that he saw what his life looked like thirteen years from now, because he wasn't sure how she would take it. All that mattered was that he was falling for the girl before him and they were finally together. He was giddy on a regular basis and hadn't even thought about how she'd react to that information. But now she wanted answers, and everyone knew what Mercedes was like she when she did. He wasn't going to lie to her, so he took a deep breath and hoped this would go better than the worst case scenario he had played out many times before this moment.

"I…okay, look. Earlier this year, this guy…" he bit his lip as he tried to think of a way to explain this without sounding crazy, but words were not his friend at the moment. "This guy, who I guess has some sort of magical powers, allowed me to see my future. Thirteen years from now. And I thought, why not? You know, 'cause I had nothing to lose."

She was already looking at him like he'd grown horns, but he went on.

"Well he showed me, and I woke up in a bed, next to you. And you were beautiful, even with no make-up and bedhead," he chuckled. "And it just felt _right_. And there was this freakishly cute little boy who came into the room and he looked just like the both of us, I mean he had my green eyes, your nose, this crazy head of brown hair, your _assertiveness_…" he said, laughing. He licked his lips, which had suddenly gone dry before continuing. "Anyway, it was Christmas and he was like, yelling at us to come see what Santa brought and when he left, you kissed me and was the greatest feeling in the world, but just like that, I was brought back to the present and the man disappeared. I know it was real and I wasn't imagining it."

He finally looked her in the eye and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was going on in her head. She was staring at him intensely with her arms folded across her chest. Finally, after what seemed like light-years, she spoke.

"I think you need to talk to someone."

"No! Mercedes don't do that! Don't tell me I'm crazy, I know what I saw," he pleaded.

"Sam, do you realize how insane that story is?" He realized it, alright. But it _happened_. And he was going to prove it.

"I do! But it really happened, 'Cedes." The nickname created itself, because while he begged her to believe him, words were harder to form and right now, her full name was a mouthful and the second half just came out. "I saw you in your lingerie and everything."

She continued to stare and him and finally, she sighed. He knew she was going to dismiss her again, and suddenly, thank God, remembered a small detail from the vision.

"Your left breast!" he shouted. She looked taken aback and raised an eyebrow.

"My what? Sam…"

"You have a birthmark on your left breast! It looks like a misshapen rocket ship!" Though Mercedes had never heard her birthmark referred to as such, she knew exactly what he was talking about and it threw her off. There was no way in hell he would have seen it; unless he'd been sneaking into her bedroom at night and watching disrobe before bedtime.

"I noticed it because I love rocket ships," he added, nodding. If the situation was any less weird, she would have laughed and shook her head at the little kid Sam was at times, but she definitely wasn't in the mood to laugh.

"I don't…how do you…" Now she was the one who couldn't form words.

"Because you were in underwear, and I saw the future."

Mercedes believed him, because he couldn't have known about her birthmark. She wondered if that made her insane too. And why where there strange men walking around Lima and showing teenage boys their futures?

"Okay…when did this happen?" she asked, pushing the suitcase aside and sitting on the bed.

"Right after I started dating Quinn," he answered honestly. She nodded, but then something occurred to her.

"Before you asked me to hang out."

Sam closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't need to be the smartest guy to figure out where this was going.

"Yeah…"

"So the only reason you asked me to hang out was because you found out you were going to end up with me," she said, nodding slowly.

"I mean…well yeah."

"Before you had this 'vision'," she said using finger quotes, "you would have continued to not give me the time of day."

"Obviously not, if I ended up marrying you," he snapped. She gave him a look that made him recoil in seconds.

"Is that why you kissed me after Rachel's party?"

"You do remember!" he said, pointing. He lowered his finger when she gave him the look again. Now was not the time. "I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you."

"But you wouldn't have wanted to kiss me if you didn't see the future," she said. Sam was beginning to get confused.

"Well I…I don't know, the point is, I wanted to kiss you because you looked beautiful and you were all I could think about."

"_Because_ you saw the future." Sam gripped his blond hair and sighed.

"Yeah! I guess. After kissing you in that bed, it was the best thing I'd ever experienced, and I wanted to feel it again, because Quinn and Santana just…didn't measure up." She sighed and rubbed her thighs through her jeans.

"But you weren't…attracted to me before you had the vision," she said quietly. He wanted to walk over and kiss the sad expression off her face, but they needed to have this talk.

"That's not true! I was attracted to you! When I saw you, I couldn't help but smile." Mercedes bit her lip as she remembered all the times Sam would randomly smile at her and scrunch his nose like a happy child when she would smile back. "And I _know_ I was sexually attracted to you, because I damn near popped a boner during _River Deep, Mountain High_!" Sam thought maybe adding that tidbit was too much, but she needed to know.

"But you never considered being in a relationship with someone like me."

"I wasn't considering a lot of things, 'Cedes. I came from an all-boys school where there was no social hierarchy like there is at McKinley. I didn't want to be the freaky new kid with the Southern accent, and I was going to do everything I could to be on top from my first day here. After I got slushied and met Quinn, I took one look at her Cheerios uniform and knew she'd be the picture perfect addition to my plan to be…admired." Sam knew this was sounding bad, but he was pretty sure he loved the girl in front of him and she deserved the truth. "So no, I didn't _consider_ being in a relationship with someone like you. Someone who doesn't care about changing for popularity and loves herself, someone who doesn't make me feel inadequate or lame when I'm being _my_self. Someone who makes me genuinely happy. Someone beautiful and amazing, and trusting, and _perfect_ for me. My head was clouded with shallow goals like being quarterback and dating a cheerleader."

Mercedes didn't respond, she just looked at her hands as they rested in her lap.

"Mercedes, please say something," he begged. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"You'd better go. I need to finish packing, and my parents are going to be home from work soon."

"What? 'Cedes…"

"Don't forget your letterman jacket. It's in the kitchen," she said, standing and beginning to put the rest of the clothes in the suitcase.

Sam's shoulders dropped. He felt like crying. Why wasn't he getting through to her? Letting out a deep sigh, he ran his fingers through his un-cut hair and decided to just do what she wanted and leave. Maybe she just needed time to herself. It _was_ a lot to take in. When he left and began walking home, he told himself over and over that this was not them breaking up. He couldn't handle them breaking up and he wouldn't let himself believe it. His girlfriend was just upset with him, that's all it was.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sam was ready to fight anyone who even looked like they were going to sit next to Mercedes on the plane. He almost sprinted down the aisle (to the dismay of other passengers trying to put their bags away and getting seated) in order to get the seat next to her. He threw his duffel bag in the overhead compartment and plopped down next to her. She'd gotten there minutes earlier and her bags were put away. She was now staring out the window at the men in orange vests pushing carts around on the asphalt.<p>

She suddenly felt long fingers wrap around her hand and turned her head, only to find herself staring into the green eyes that belonged to her boyfriend. He wore a half smile and his eyes were hopeful as he silently begged her not to pull her hand away. She didn't, but she broke eye contact and looked at the seat in front of her.

Just happy she was still holding his hand, Sam relaxed and put his head back against the seat. After the safety presentation from the flight attendants and a smooth ascent into the sky, he finally looked over at her again. The way her bangs and side ponytail framed her face made him want to reach over and pinch her cheeks, but he figured another time.

"So, are we gonna talk?" he asked. She sighed and looked at him.

"I guess." She did a lot of thinking between the time Sam left her house the afternoon before and now. His words sunk in, and she knew his feelings were just as strong as they would have been, had he not seen the future, but she still felt uneasy. Then she thought about how people can't change the future. She'd just read Oedipus for AP Literature, and _he_ was told he would sleep with his mom in the future. Even though he did _everything_ he could to stop it, he still ended up sleeping with his mom. If she was going to end up with Sam, it meant that regardless of whether or not he'd seen their future together, they were going to end up together. If he didn't ask her to hang out, something else would have happened to bring them together.

"Are you still mad at me?" He was biting his lip and stroking her hand with his thumb.

"No. Not really, anyway," she said. "I just started feeling really insecure about your motives for being with me. I felt like you were doing it out of obligation, and I wasn't really listening to you when you basically poured your heart out to me. But I thought about it, and I'm okay now. It's just…a lot to take in. Like, a lot. The emotional stuff, _and_ the fact that there's a wizard walking around Lima." Sam laughed and nodded before leaning over to kiss her. His lips met the palm of her hand.

"What? This is a perfect moment for some sugar," he pouted. She giggled, but then turned serious.

"Is it okay if we keep us on the down low? Just for a little while. There's a lot of Glee drama going around, and I don't feel like answering questions or dealing with reactions, like Kurt and Rachel squealing and asking for every detail, or Santana rolling her eyes and making a remark that's either insulting or sexual, depending on her mood." He laughed at the last part and sucked his lips in before finally nodding.

"Okay. I get it. But as soon as I get you alone…" he paused to hold his arms out in front of him like he was holding her and open his mouth and wag his tongue around like he was making out with someone. She tried to hold it in, but an obnoxiously loud laugh erupted from Mercedes and getting a few looks from other passengers caused her to try and repress it by covering her mouth.

Sam just settled comfortably into his seat with a smug grin on his face.

* * *

><p>"I thought you two would be more upset," Mrs. Jones said, driving them both home after picking them up from the airport subsequent to their loss at Nationals. The Jones's weren't home that often, as they were either working late or out of town, but they were well aware of who their daughter was dating, especially since the night she came in after prom, all but singing about the boy that just left their front porch. They also knew about Sam's situation, because they were the ones to give Mercedes the money to pitch in on getting his guitar back. This was also why her mother offered right away to drive Sam to the motel.<p>

"We were, but we figured there was no point in being depressed about it. I mean, summer's almost here and we have that to look forward to. Also, I'm pretty sure Santana was pissed off enough for all of us," Mercedes replied, earning a laugh from Sam who was seated behind her mother in the back seat.

"Did you guys at least get to go site-seeing?" the older woman asked, smiling.

"We did. We even went to Central Park," Sam chimed in.

"I love Central Park. There are so many different parts of it. And as cliché as it may be, it's the perfect dating spot. Utterly romantic," Mrs. Jones said, sighing.

"Dad took you there?"

"Dad _proposed _to me there," she said, smirking.

She soon pulled up into the parking lot of the motel. Sam thanked her and got out. Mercedes said she'd be right back and got out as well so she could walk him to the door. When Sam saw her come around the car, he immediately grabbed her hand and walked to his room with her.

"Your dad's pretty bad ass, proposing to your mom in New York," he said with a half-smile.

"My dad's pretty bad ass, period," she corrected. When they got to his door, she stood on her tip-toes in front of him. He laughed and bent down the rest of the way to kiss her. His hands settled on her hips and he fought with everything in him not to grab her ass while her mom sat in the car less than a hundred feet away.

"Call me tonight?" he asked when they pulled away.

"Yes, sir," she replied, grinning. He pecked her lips and went inside. A curtain opened in the window and two faces pressed against the glass. She laughed and waved at Stevie and Stacey, and they enthusiastically waved back. Sam was always at her house, but whenever she was at the motel room, she was smothered with hugs and questions from the two blonds, who were always eager to see a fresh, friendly face in the cramped one-bed space.

She walked back to the car with pep in her step, happy about life in general at the moment and the idea of being able to spend the whole summer with Sam.


	5. Chapter 5

"Did you have sex with Santana?"

Sam froze in the middle of scooping out chocolate ice cream into his bowl and looked up at Mercedes who had her spoon in her mouth.

"Um, what?" He immediately felt like this was a trap. This whole thing, including the ice cream she'd bought for them. It was a good trap, but evil. She calmly took another spoonful.

"Did you have intercourse with Santana," she repeated, putting the spoon in her mouth again.

"Why are you asking about Santana? I dated Quinn too, you know," his said, scooping out the rest of his ice cream and putting the lid on the tub. He walked over to Mercedes' freezer and put it up.

"Yeah, but Quinn re-joined the celibacy club and after last year, she vowed to never even be around an unclothed penis," she said. Sam chuckled.

"You're right. And no, I never had sex with Santana." He was telling the truth. They only dated for about three weeks, and Sam didn't care what other kids were doing. In his head, that was nowhere near long enough to even consider taking that step. Especially since they weren't even really into each other.

"Then why'd it take you so long to answer?" Her tone wasn't irritated or upset, just curious.

"Because…"

"Because?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Because she _did_ give me a blow job," he answered. Yeah, they were only together for three weeks, but she insisted, and they were dating, so who was he to really turn it down. In an attempt at not being selfish, he offered to return the favor, but Santana denied him and shrugged it off, mumbling something about how only one person could make her feel something down there.

"Did she now?" Mercedes pressed, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, and it was really glamorous and romantic; in the back seat of a car in Lima Heights Adjacent. There was gangster rap playing in the background. I still get a tingle when I hear old Ice T," he said sarcastically. She laughed and shook her head.

"What about before you moved here?"

"I went to an all-boys prep school year round, so there weren't many opportunities presenting themselves…why the sudden interest in my dick?" he asked brusquely.

"So you're a virgin," she stated, ignoring his question.

"Really? I had no idea." he said, leaning forward and eating his ice cream. She rolled her eyes. "Is this the part where I ask you if you are?"

"Please, you already know the answer to that. When have you ever seen or heard about a man on my arm?" Sam shrugged.

"I don't know what you do outside of school." Instantly, she reached across the counter and smacked him in the head.

"Hey! You know I was kidding," he whined, rubbing the spot her hand met. She shook her head and continued eating her ice cream. They both finished their bowls off in comfortable silence.

"But really, why the sudden interest in my sex life?" he asked after they cleaned their dishes. She was trying to put hers away in a cabinet just out of her reach and he grabbed it. He was now pressing against her back, which was understandable considering he needed to reach over her to put the bowls on the top shelf, but when he closed the cabinet, he stayed in that position, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Cedes?" he prodded after her lack of response.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know," she said, answering his earlier question. Having him pressed against her like that had momentarily blocked her train of thought.

"These questions just randomly came to you?" She wiggled out of his grasp and walked around to the other side of the counter.

"We're honest with each other, right? Like, nothing is off limits?" She was biting her lip. He nodded automatically. "Well, I just…before recently I never thought about the sexual aspect of our relationship. If that makes sense."

It made sense, but Sam couldn't relate. Even before the vision, he nearly salivated at the idea of pushing her against the door of an empty classroom and pounding into her with a perfect view of her ass. And when he saw her birthmark in their future bed, he had the small urge to lick it and continue his tongue's journey over the beautiful monuments she called her chest and only stop when he reached the promised land between her legs; he'd already done so in his dreams and made her scream his name for the neighborhood to hear, and he yearned for the day when he would hear the real thing. Now that they were together and always cuddling in some way, shape or form, she always ended up on top of him, on his lap, straddling him playfully, or accidentally grinding against him. He felt like he was in a constant battle to keep Little Sammy at bay.

"Uh, sure," he said so she would go on. "Until recently?"

"Well yeah." She suddenly bit her lip and dipped her head, something she always did when she was blushing furiously. "A couple days ago…the last day of school, actually…"

"When you stopped by the motel," he said, nodding.

"Right. I finally met your dad, by the way. He was taking Stevie and Stacey to the park. He's really nice."

"I was wondering how you got in." Sam had been in the shower when she came, and after putting on a pair of shorts and drying off, he'd come out to the pleasant surprise of Mercedes waiting on the couch to hang out.

"I'm just going to cut to the chase here. They were leaving as I was coming, and your dad said you were in the bathroom, so I thought I would knock and let you know I was there, but when I went to the sliding bathroom door, you left a huge portion of it open, and you were stepping out of the shower, and I didn't mean to look, but I did and now I'm having dreams." Most of what she said seemingly came out in breath, but Sam caught it all.

"Wait, so you saw me naked?" She nodded.

"Yes. On accident."

"You saw my junk."

"Yes."

"My wang."

"Yes…"

"Little Sammy."

"Sam…"

"My junior commander."

"Sam! Yes! I saw it!" she said, face-palming and fighting a smile at his ridiculousness.

"Well." She looked up at him to find him looking thoughtful.

"What'd you think?"

"Sam!" she yelled, laughing.

"I'm sorry, but now that you've seen it, I have to know if you were impressed."

Her laughing died down and she swallowed. That was followed by her blushing face.

"I told you I started having dreams…" Sam's eyebrows raised and he slowly walked closer.

"What kind of dreams, Mercedes?" His deep voice was enough to make her legs shake on a regular basis, and right now it wasn't helping as he was leaning on the counter inches away from her. His elbows rested on the tile behind him and his shirt rose up slightly to reveal remnants of a happy trail. She thought about how much easier this would be if he was a lot less toned and had the voice of Tiny Tim.

"Don't make me say it," she mumbled.

"Do you touch yourself after?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Okay, this got awkward real quick," she said, turning around and heading up to her room.

"Aw, come on! We should be able to talk about these things as a couple!" he yelled after her, jogging up the stairs to catch up. "We've been together for a month and a half now; we can admit these things without being embarrassed."

She was now sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, flipping channels. He went over and grabbed the remote, turned off the television and tossed the control across the room.

"Really?" If she had been standing, her hand would have been on her hip, but for now she just gave him her now usual what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you look. He shrugged and sat on the bed next to her.

"You know, if it helps, I think about _you _when I touch _my_self," he said, leaning on one of his elbows and facing her.

"Sam…"

"Cedes. We're serious about each other, right? I mean, I have really strong feelings for you that I don't even understand yet. I can't tell you how you feel about me." She sighed.

"We are serious about each other. I feel the same way." He smiled at the confirmation and pushed on.

"So then we know that making love is inevitable for us. Whether we do it tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now, or even _right_ now," he said, absently walking his fingers up and down her thigh. "Why shouldn't we be able to talk about this with each other? I mean, when the time comes, I want to be able to please you to the best of my abilities."

"I know...but it's still awkward," she said. Her cheeks were on fire.

"Okay…what I can I do to make it _not_ awkward?"

"We could just have sex right now and get it over with," she said, chuckling. "…Sam!" she yelled when she realized he already had his shirt half off.

"Oh right, that was a joke," he said, pulling his shirt back down. She was still laughing and shaking her head.

"It's nice to know you're eager."

* * *

><p>"Evans!" Sam snapped up from his previous position against a wall in the kitchen. He'd begun to dose off, and now he was alert again. He embarrassingly wiped off the bit of drool that had escaped his mouth and stood up straight.<p>

"Sorry…" he mumbled, tucking in his red uniform shirt.

"What's going on with you, did you get any sleep last night?" Alex, Sam's manager was only a couple years older than him and was pretty lenient as long as customers stayed happy and pizzas were delivered on time.

"Not enough, I guess. Sorry, it won't happen again." The evening prior, after leaving Mercedes' house, he'd retired to the motel bathroom to shuffle one out. Or three. He'd already been at half-mast when he left, successfully hiding it from his girlfriend. After their sex talk and a viewing of Rocky Horror (something Mercedes purchased when the glee club tried to put on the play), the two found themselves rolling around on her bed attached at the mouth, Sam's hands groping at every inch of her he could and only parting to cover any exposed skin with his lips. When she didn't stop his hand when it instinctively cupped between her legs, he swore somewhere he could hear the Hallelujah Chorus. After asking her over and over if she was sure, pants were off and Thundercats were go. So yes, it had been a long night, but a glorious one in which he'd slid into third with his girl and thought about it well into the early hours.

"You sure you don't need to go home?" Alex pressed.

"No! I'll be fine. I'm all good now. I just need to uh…splash some water in my face or something." Sam was working overtime today and he really needed to. His mom had gotten a job as a secretary for a law practice that served the underpaid. It wasn't enough to get them out of the motel, but that plus Sam's job at the pizza place was enough to keep them clothed and eating, as well as keeping cell phones on for another month. His dad still had no luck, always over-qualified.

"Okay well, I need to head out early. My girlfriend's water broke, and my sister's taking her to the hospital now, so I need to get there pronto. Crystal should be here in an hour or so, but I need you to hold down the front for me. Can you do that?"

"Yes! Of course. And that's great!"

"Don't congratulate me yet," Alex said, grinning and pulling his car keys out of his pocket. "If I come back and this place is in flames, I'll kill you myself if you didn't already die in the fire," he added, walking out.

Sam smiled and shook his head, taking his place behind the front register. Because most people didn't order pizzas in the middle of a weekday, it was usually just him and Alex, until a couple more employees came in for their shifts in the evening. He yawned and leaned on the counter, staring ahead at the empty vestibule and waiting chairs.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and eager to have something to do, he reached for it and flipped it open without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Damnit."

"Mercedes?"

"I forgot you were working all day," she said. She was currently laid out on her stomach in bed, waving her legs in the air. She also hadn't been able to get last night out of her mind and decided to just call him, forgetting that he was probably busy.

"It's cool, no one's here. I'm not supposed to be on the phone during work hours, but what the hell, who cares." He leaned on the counter and grinned, happy to hear her voice. He was worrying that he wouldn't have the opportunity to hear it that day.

"What are you doing?" she asked, playing with a thread sticking out of the comforter on her bed.

"Looking out the front window at the empty parking lot. I guess not a lot of people want pizza at one o clock on a Monday." She laughed. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Nothing at all. I'm just laying here trying to think of something to do today and coming up short. Part of me wants to go back to sleep because I didn't really go to bed when you left," she told him honestly.

"Me neither. I jacked off in the bathroom, and then stared at the ceiling thinking about you for hours."

"Sam!"

"Too much information?" She didn't respond right away because she was too busy laughing and had rolled onto her back.

"Now I feel like you got gipped," she said, referring to the fact that he'd gotten her off and had to handle himself alone back at the motel. He knew what she meant.

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me one day."

"Tonight?" Sam let out a loud sigh and turned around with his back to the register.

"Don't make me sad," he said, pouting a little.

"Oh that's right, you're working overtime. Don't be sad, Sam, we have all summer. You'll have plenty of time to see me," she promised, smiling into the receiver.

"You're right. It's just so, so, so boring here. At least Crystal's gonna be here soon," he mused, shrugging. The girl was funny and usually kept him entertained until closing time.

"Crystal?" She tensed, and Sam could hear it in her voice, causing him to smirk.

"Yes, Crystal," he confirmed.

"Is Crystal the name of a _male_ co-worker?"

"Nope. Crystal's a nice redhead with boobs. Why do you ask?" He heard her let out a breath.

"No reason. So you're alone with her a lot?"

"I'm sorry, I just have to say that I'm really digging your jealousy right now. I feel like I'm gonna get punished," he said, on the fence between whether to laugh or be turned on.

"I'm not jealous! I'm just a little…"

"Jealous. It's okay. I was jealous that Puck got to date you when you were walking around in a Cheerios uniform." She rolled her eyes.

"That relationship was a lie, and I wore pants."

"Damn," he said, snapping in false irritation. "I guess that was for the best. You in one of those skirts would be kind of X-rated…and should be reserved for the bedroom."

"I am not wearing a Cheerios skirt for you, so you can get that out of your mind."

"Fine. Clothes weren't an option anyway," he responded, grinning when he heard her laugh. "And by the way, Crystal admittedly and proudly prefers tacos to sausage, if it makes you feel better."

"It does," she said, relaxing. He sighed dramatically.

"I was hoping you'd still be jealous. Next time you see me, can you pretend to be jealous? And get all mad and give me that angry look? It just…it does things to me."

"You're a freak, and I'm hanging up."

* * *

><p>Sam was determined to get Stevie and Stacey out of that wretched motel room. They went to church camp during the week, but their weekends consisted of sitting around the dark space having to entertain themselves best they could. He called Mercedes up, hoping she was free and luckily she was, so here they were at the lake.<p>

The kids were running in and out of the water, screaming with delight and occasionally throwing mud at each other.

"It looks like poop!" Stevie yelled towards Sam and Mercedes, who were comfortable on a towel under a tree.

"Gross!" Stacey screamed, scrunching her nose up and going deeper into the water.

"Don't go too far guys!" Sam yelled back. He was confident that they both knew how to swim, but he wasn't willing to risk anything. Mercedes was laying on her stomach in a simple t-shirt and jeans reading a book. Sam moved from his seated position and mirrored hers to get a better view of her face while she concentrated on the words in front of her. She would lick her lips every so often and turn the page, and he would continue to stare at her.

Her hair was in curls that day, half pinned up, and half down. The sun was hidden behind clouds and only peaked through a little, enough to make her brown skin glow. Every time she would lick her lips, he would subconsciously lick his own. He didn't know how long he had been staring, but she didn't seem to notice. He just wanted to take her in. He thought about how there literally wasn't one part of her he didn't want to kiss.

A corner of her mouth turned up as she gave a small smile at something she read, making him smile. Her smile was like everything good in the world. He could be living in a box or have a terminal disease, but suddenly forget all of it if she smiled at him. They were always genuine and made him want to go to the ends of the earth to make her smile again. But luckily, he never had to do much to make her smile. As a matter of fact, at least half of the time, he'd made her smile on accident. Her smiles made him feel special, and wanted. Since she'd officially become his, he hadn't had one insecure thought, which was crazy considering they used to consume him.

His eyes traveled to her hands as they gripped the book. He loved her small hands and how his own could envelope them. By doing so, he was always wordlessly telling her that he'd protect her no matter what. He wanted to kiss every digit and stroke the smooth skin on the back of her hand all the time, and his heart would swell whenever her fingers squeezed his own when he grabbed one. Even his naughtier thoughts, like how her smooth palm would feel wrapped around his shaft, had a romantic undertone. Her hands were the only ones he wanted on him, and he wanted her to touch him, so he could show her that his body _belonged_ to her, and that she was the only person on earth who could make him feel this good.

His gaze moved back up and down her body and rested on her backside. He wondered if she would ever let him slap it like he'd dreamed on many occasions, and stopped himself from chuckling aloud. If she didn't, he'd be content with just being able to grab it, caress it, lay on it, anything. Other guys could look all they want; hell, some passersby were looking _now_, but he didn't let it bother him because he knew that ass was his, and nothing about that was going to change. He smiled and looked back up at her face. The woman in front of him was his girlfriend, and one day she would be his wife, and the body he loved so much would bear his son one day. Even with a glimpse at what it would be like under his belt, at this moment he couldn't imagine. If he was this ridiculously happy at this early point in their relationship, the thought of how happy he'd be as her husband was too much to think about. Something he'd been unsure about admitting to himself and bringing up for discussion occurred to him right there.

"I love you," he murmured, propping his head up on his fist and facing her.

"What, Sam?" she said, turning her head to look at him. He could tell by her expression that she really hadn't heard him.

"I said, what are you reading?"

"Oh, I'm reading How to Get Your Boyfriend to Stop Creepily Staring at You," she replied smirking. He blushed immediately; having thought him staring at her for the last ten minutes had gone unnoticed.

"Ha ha. What are you _actually_ reading?"

"The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories," she said, holding the cover up.

"Any good ones?" he asked.

"Lots of good ones." He nodded, before leaning in to press his lips to hers. She smiled into it and set the book down. She didn't save her page, but Sam's tongue brushing against the roof of her mouth eliminated her ability to care about anything else in that moment.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the chapter! The next update should be around in a couple days, and thank you for the supportalerts/favorites/reviews! They really mean a lot.**


	6. Chapter 6

****Hello all! This update had to be sliced and read over a ton of times, but it is finished. If you know me, you know that I'm not good at writing smut. You may be sad that there's no smut, but trust me, it's much better that I didn't write it. I was thinking of you. Anyway, I hope you enjoy regardless, and if I missed any mistakes, don't hold it against me.****

* * *

><p>Mercedes was <em>happy<em>. And she would take someone down if they even hinted to her happiness being about having a man in her life. She did not need a man to be happy and that didn't change. She was in a good place; and maybe her current state did have a lot to do with having a man, but it wasn't nearly about simply_ having_. Sam wasn't just a man or a boyfriend. He was her best friend and a huge chunk of her heart. She was happy on her own, but now, if she ever felt down, she had a pair of emerald eyes to look into to ensure everything was okay. She had a deep voice that was only a phone call away if something worried her; from big things, like insecurities regarding her future, to small things, like being in tears over watching Mufasa die again. She had large hands to hold her and remind her that even though she was an independent woman, she had a 6-foot tall security blanket to be behind her no matter what and tell her how incredible she was on those weak moments when she needed a little convincing.

She had been worried for a while now about where their relationship was headed. She wasn't afraid of it ending abruptly or one of them hurting the other; she was just put off by how fast they were moving. They weren't going too fast physically; from an outsider's eyes it was a relatively normal relationship, pacing-wise. Even if someone did say they were going a little fast, she didn't care. There was no guide to how to pace things with a significant other, and things felt right. What put her off was the _emotional_ pacing. She was ready to say she loved him, but they had only been together for nearly two months. True, she began to feel something for him before they took the relationship leap, but part of her still felt like she wasn't supposed to be having these feelings. She was too young and dumb; at least that's what most adults would say if she admitted she was in love with Sam.

But Mercedes was not going to lie to herself. What she felt was real, she just felt slightly guilty about it. After letting him touch her the way he did, and spending that day at the lake just talking, laughing and _being_ with each other, the realization hit her like a rock. She often thought about what Sam saw when he had that vision of the future, and for a while, it creeped her out (what teenager likes to think about marriage and kids?), but now she couldn't really imagine it another way. Sam was her soul mate. There she went with the heavy words again; but she couldn't help it, they just came out.

She'd now made the decision to stop worrying about how people would view the intensity of their relationship. No one told Mercedes Jones how to live her life. From now on when it came to Sam, she told herself to stop thinking and just _feel_.

"EARTH TO MERCEDES." She jumped at the sound of Kurt's high pitched voice yelling in her ear.

Rachel moved from her spot next to them on the bed and sat in front of Mercedes, and Kurt was staring at her with his eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"What? Rachel just asked you like three times if there were more cookies downstairs!" Three times? Mercedes hadn't even realized she was distracted. She looked past Rachel to see that Aquamarine, one of the designated chick flicks of the evening, was back on its menu screen.

"Oh. There aren't, but there is mix left. We can just put some more in the oven," Mercedes said, hopping off the bed. The temperature dropped, and it was a little windy in Lima this week, so her Sock Monkey onesie was making a comeback for the evening.

"Mercedes, what were you thinking about?" Rachel asked, standing as well.

"Nothing, really. I guess I just went off somewhere," she replied, going out to the stairs and walking down to the kitchen with her two sleepover guests hot on her trail.

"Was it Sam?" Kurt asked once they reached the kitchen.

"No." Her lips said no, but her facial expression said of course.

"You like Sam!" Rachel asked excitedly, beaming. Mercedes sent Kurt a small glare and he shrugged. She could have corrected the spastic brunette, but sometimes it was better to keep her in the dark.

"Yeah, I like Sam. It's not a big deal."

"IT IS SUCH A BIG DEAL, MERCEDES!" Rachel was now jumping up and down with her hands clasped together. "I knew I saw a spark between you two at prom! You'd be the cutest together!"

Kurt was rolling his eyes while lumping balls of cookie dough together and putting them on the baking pan.

"Thank you…?" Mercedes couldn't help but smile at her friend's excitement. Though, now that she thought about it, Rachel _was_ the reason her relationship with Sam made its critical jump forward.

Rachel was about to continue her squeal fest and was interrupted by the door bell ringing. Mercedes silently thanked God and went to answer it. As soon as she pulled the door open, she found herself being swept up into long arms as a pair of lips met hers in an eager kiss.

Sam pulled away with a smile on his face.

"Hi," he said, loosening his hold so she could stand straight.

"Hey," she replied breathlessly. The enthusiastic greeting distracted her for a moment before she remembered she had company. "What are you doing here?"

"You said you had the house to yourself this weekend," he said matter-of-factly, walking into her front hall. Right then, he spotted Rachel standing in the doorway of the kitchen displaying an expression that was a mixture of shock and elation. "Oh, you have company."

"Yes I do." Mercedes punched him in the arm. It did nothing, but Sam still responded like a kicked puppy. "Just because I said I had the house to myself didn't mean you could just come over! We were talking about our weekend plans and I just mentioned it."

"Well you should have been specific! You know I don't work on the weekends, and it sounded to me like the perfect opportunity for—

"YOU GUYS ARE TOGETHER!" Sam and Mercedes both directed their attention to where the sudden outburst had come from. Rachel was grinning wide and rocking back and forth. Mercedes face-palmed and Sam couldn't help but be amused.

"What's going on out there?" Sam heard Kurt's voice from inside the kitchen and the oven door closing. Kurt walked out to where they all were and smiled. "Oh, hello Sam."

"Hey Kurt," Sam said, waving. He looked all of them over. "So I guess I interrupted a sleep-over of some sort."

"_Yes_, you did." Mercedes folded her arms. He sighed.

"Fine. I'll go home and come back tomorrow. I called it. But first…" Sam pulled out his cell phone and pressed a few buttons.

"What are you—SAM!" Before she could figure out what he was doing, Sam had taken a picture of Mercedes in her bright red onesie.

"I'm sorry, but that's just too adorable. Hello, new phone background," he said, fighting the urge to laugh out loud.

"Delete it now!" she yelled. Sam walked over and kissed her cheek before skipping out the front door and shutting it behind him.

"Really? No help from either of you?" she accused, looking at Kurt and Rachel, her voice still raised.

Rachel was seemingly frozen in the same position she had been in minutes ago: hands clasped and grin wide. Kurt on the other hand, was covering his mouth with his palm, his face red from trying not to break. He finally lost the battle and doubled over in laughter.

"I see how it is," Mercedes muttered, going into the kitchen to check on the cookies.

* * *

><p>"I'm only doing this because I love you," Sam said, adjusting the multiple shopping bags in his hands.<p>

"Oh, come on! Shopping is fun. You're the one who insisted on spending the day with me and this is what I had planned. But I'm glad you came, because I can't carry all this." Mercedes continued on through the crowds of Lima Heights Mall with an unamused Sam in tow.

"Do you need all this crap?"

"A lot of it is stuff my mom told me to pick up," she responded, stopping at a map to look for the next store on her list.

"Can we at least go to Victoria's Secret?" He also held her purse, and was now digging through it for the Skittles he knew she had in there. When he found them, he mumbled a "Yes," and poured half the contents of the little packet into his mouth.

"Victoria's Secret? What the hell, Sam?" she said, turning around to face him and shaking her head at the sight of him finishing off her candy.

"It's the only thing that'll make my day brighter," he replied, at least that's what she thought she heard through his full mouth.

"Why, you need a thong?"

"I get to look at the fancy underwear and imagine you in them," he countered, grinning and putting the almost empty Skittles bag back into her purse.

"They don't take too kindly to perverts in there," she said, fighting a laugh.

"I'm _not_ a pervert. I would simply admire. What's wrong with worshipping the female form?" She rolled her eyes and started walking again.

He followed her, casually looking in store windows. Even when he had the money, Sam wasn't much for malls. He was fine getting his clothes from department stores, and everything else he needed lay in comic book shops. He was a simple guy, and there, being surrounded by guys with popped collars, thousand dollar sunglasses, and slicked back hair with cardigans resting on their shoulders, he couldn't help but shake his head. It was kind of funny.

When they approached one store in particular, Sam's heart immediately ached.

"Cedes, we have to go in there," he said, stopping in front of the window. Mercedes walked back to where he was standing and raised an eyebrow.

"It's a little kid's store. I don't have any kids. Do you?" He smiled and shook his head, his eyes never leaving the superhero pajamas on display in front of him.

"Our kid has Superman pajamas," he said simply. Realization washed over her and she looked the clothes on display.

"Okay, let's go in." She took his hand and led him into the store filled with mothers, some fathers, and a lot of toddlers. The store's color scheme was all over the place, and Sam felt like he just stepped inside a rainbow. He went right over to the pajamas and set the bags he was holding by his feet to look through them.

"You think he just had that pair, or that we bought him a whole mess of superhero pajamas? I mean, he's obviously a DC kid, which is cool," he rambled, moving through the hangers and pushing ensembles aside with his large hands. Mercedes just smiled and watched him. She scanned the store and the little kids running around until her eyes landed on the shoes. Her heart swelled at the idea of taking a little girl shoe shopping and when she moved her gaze to the dresses, she thought about how when she had kids, they'd be the best dressed in whatever state they ended up in.

"Cedes?" When she didn't answer his question, Sam looked over to see her daydreaming. A half smile tugged at his lips.

"Yeah?"

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"You think we might have a girl too? Like…after our son," she mused.

"I don't know. We can definitely work on it," he said, nudging her with his elbow. She laughed and rolled her eyes, even though she was really hoping they would. She didn't want to stop at just one kid. Maybe two. She just wanted her children to have each other, like she had her brothers, or how Stevie and Stacey have one another and Sam.

"Is it weird that I'm thinking about buying one of these? Even though I can't afford it?"

"Well stop. I'm pretty sure they'll be sold somewhere in the future. And if not, there's always the internet," she said, picking up half of the bags Sam had set down. He picked up the other half.

"Yeah, you're right."

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, they were back at the Jones house, and Sam was on Mercedes' bed with his back against the headboard, watching her put away new clothes.<p>

"One thing I _am_ happy about is the fact you now have more dresses," he pointed out.

"Why is that?" she asked from her closet, where she was hanging up said dresses.

"Easy access…duh." He was now playing with a purple pillow she had that was shaped like a crown.

"Nice." Ever since they hit third base a few weeks prior, Sam took advantage of every opportunity to make her climax; including in her car outside the All American Motel with the seats reclined. That one had been a challenge, but still fun. When he finally let her return the favor, the real thing was _unreal_ compared to dreaming about it. She needed help the first time, and all instances after, she'd done it like a pro. Fantastic wasn't even close to describing the experience, and he was usually left feeling like he wouldn't be able to walk for hours.

"The dresses are pretty too, I suppose," he added with a smirk.

"I don't like that look in your eye. Maybe you should go home," she teased.

"I'm thinking perfectly innocent thoughts right now. And I refuse to go home when all we did so far today was _shop_."

"I thought you did it because you loved me," she said, giggling.

"I do, with everything I am," he answered, still playing with the pillow. She stepped out of the closet and walked over, leaning on her bedpost. Sam hadn't actually said the words seriously since she failed to hear him that day at the lake. He figured now was as good a time as any.

"You do, huh?"

He got off the bed and went to stand, facing her. He pulled her arms around his waist and wrapped his own around her shoulders.

"Yes. I love you. We haven't said it out loud and seriously, so there it is," he said, smiling. It was okay if she didn't say it back. He knew she was going to one day, and they only had two months under their belts, so who was he to expect her to—

"I love you too," she replied genuinely. His eyes widened and if his smile were any larger, it would have broken his jaw. He leaned down and kissed her, bringing one hand up to cup her face and bring her closer. His eyes crossed when she licked his bottom lip and he groaned when she pulled away, on the verge of a temper tantrum. She smiled and let out a small laugh at his tactics.

"I really, really love you Sam. And I know you already _know_ it's going to happen, but personally, I can't see myself ending up with anyone_ but_ you," she told him honestly. The words just made him want to attack her mouth again, but he waited, because he could tell she was trying to say something. "And I really love spending time with you and doing what we're doing now, but I'm ready to take it to the next step."

Sam's eyes glazed over at the last part. He stepped back and sat on the bed, pulling her so she stood in front of him. If she was about to say what he thought she was going to, he needed to be sitting down.

"I want to have sex with you. That is, if you're ready. I guess it would be wrong for me to assume you're ready just because you're a guy. But I want to, and if you want to, then we should. I want to give my body to you. And not like, right now, but this week. Because right now, we don't have condoms or anything, and I _am_ on the pill, but they always say you can't be too safe." She was rambling, and Sam sort of heard what she was saying, but his mind was back at the beginning.

_I want to have sex with you_.

"Sam?" She'd been staring at him expectantly for several seconds and he was frozen; staring in her direction with a slack-jawed expression, like Captain America himself was standing before him. Mercedes waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Sam Evans."

"Huh? Oh. YES!" She jumped back a little, startled at his outburst. He turned red and grinned sheepishly. "I meant, yes I want to, and I'm one hundred percent ready."

"Oh! Well…great! Now um, how do we go about this? I mean, like I said, we can't do it right now, because we don't have condoms or the time, really, because my parents will be home tonight…"

"I don't work Tuesday night," he said, biting his lip.

"That's perfect! They're going to a play and then out with my aunt and uncle that night."

"I love your parents and their busy social schedules," he said, grinning. She smiled and shook her head at him. "So uh, I'll buy condoms. The drug store is right by the motel, so…"

"Are you sure?" He rolled his eyes.

"I do have _some_ money. And this is kind of a momentous occasion, so I think I can splurge," he said, folding his arms.

"Fine, fine!" She put her hands up in surrender, and couldn't help but smile at him when she brought them back down.

"So…Tuesday," he said to confirm.

"Tuesday."

"Awesome."

"Great."

* * *

><p>Tuesday before work, Sam stood in the aisle of the 7-11 holding two boxes of condoms in his hands. Durex was cheaper, but this was pretty important so he strongly considered going with Trojan. It was the most popular name brand, and he figured the most trustworthy. Both were likely to work, but he wanted to be sure. He bit his lip and looked back and forth between them.<p>

"Hey, Sam." The sudden greeting startled him, causing him to drop to boxes and jump. He looked toward the source and came face to face with Puck, smirking and holding a Big Gulp. "Why so jumpy, my friend?"

"Puck, hey. Sorry, I just…you scared me," Sam explained, straightening.

"Didn't mean to." Puck bent down and grabbed the two boxes with one hand and held them out to Sam, smirk still in place. "You dropped these."

"Oh. Right. Thanks. So what's up?" he asked, putting the Durex box back on the shelf and silently making the decision to go with Trojan.

"I'm more interested in what's up with _you_," Puck said, slurping through his Big Gulp straw and nodding towards the box. "Magnum? You got an anaconda down there, Evans?" Sam immediately turned a shade of pink.

"I'm just…well, I have to be accurate…" Puck grinned and folded his arms, taking a sip of slushie again.

"Who are you about to do the nasty with?" he asked, amusement flickering around in his eyes.

Sam took a moment to consider whether or not he should say. He and Mercedes weren't trying to hide their relationship anymore, but they weren't telling everyone. If someone found out, so be it. He decided to just be honest. It was obvious he had plans to sleep with _someone_, and he didn't want Puck thinking it was anyone else _but_ his girlfriend.

"Uh, Mercedes," he mumbled.

"MERCEDES JONES?" Sam jumped at Puck's outburst.

"Yes, Mercedes Jones."

"How is it I only got to kiss her on the cheek, and you're about to be balls deep in her?" Sam's eyes bulged.

"Hey! Keep your voice down, okay?" he whispered harshly to his mohawked friend, giving apologetic looks to bystanders.

"Seriously, how'd you seal that deal?"

"It was her decision to make love, so—

"Make love?" Puck asked, cutting him off. "Hold up, how long has this been going on between you guys?"

"Since prom?"

"Jesus, how the hell did I miss that?" Puck said, putting a hand on his hip.

"We didn't really tell anybody when it happened…" Sam expounded.

"Wow. And here we are," Puck said, gesturing towards the condoms and sipping his slushie again.

"Yes. Here we are," Sam agreed, biting his lip. This had been sufficiently awkward.

"Wow. I think I actually admire you right now. Just thinking about those tatas…" He grabbed Sam's hand and kissed it. "I salute you." Sam laughed and shook his head.

"Thanks, I guess. Can I go buy these now?"

"Yeah, I'll let you go. Though you might want to reconsider the size. If it's too big, they fall off."

"Really? I didn't think you knew much about protection," Sam retorted. The comeback just rolled off of his tongue before he had time to consider it. Puck, however, was not offended.

"Touché. I was just saying," he said, the smirk making its return as he was reminded why he liked Sam.

"Well thanks for looking out, but they're not too big." Sam walked to the front of the store to pay.

"Tell the twins hello for me!" Puck called after the blond when he was about to leave.

"Bye, Puck," Sam replied, rolling his eyes before leaving the store and walking back to the motel to get ready for work.

* * *

><p>Mercedes had spent the day mentally prepping for what she was about to do with Sam. She wasn't having second thoughts, but she <em>was<em> nervous as hell. She figured he obviously knew what to expect, but she couldn't shake the small fear of being naked in front of him. She knew she had the option of keeping a shirt on, but she didn't really want to. She _wanted_ him to see her, so he could experience all of her, because she didn't want to spend the rest of her life being afraid of him seeing her body. She was going to have his _son_ one day, for God sakes. She just hoped for a good reaction. She wasn't skinny, and she honestly had no desire to be, but her boyfriend seeing her bare, complete form in all of its chubby glory was a little scary.

She took a long bath that day and spent the rest of her time tending to herself, cleaning her room, and eating something. She was in sweatpants and a t-shirt with the intentions to change into the lingerie set she'd gone back to the mall to purchase, but the doorbell rang before she had a chance to.

"You're early," she said when she opened to door to reveal Sam with a drawstring backpack.

"I know. I got off work early. I even had to chance to shower and change so I wouldn't smell like raw dough," he said, laughing. "I can wait out here on the porch if you don't want me to come in yet…" She rolled her eyes and opened the door all the way so he could come in.

"I didn't get the opportunity to change…" she said, biting her lip.

"I could just watch you change."

"No, that eliminates the mystery." He rolled his eyes.

"Can I at least come up there?"

"Yeah, come on." She led him up the stairs and to her room. He set his bag down by the nightstand and sat on the bed.

"Right, so I'll be ready in a minute." She grabbed a shopping bag that was sitting by the door and disappeared into her bathroom.

Sam sat there rubbing his palms against his jeans in an attempt to get them to stop sweating. He took a few deep breaths and looked around her bedroom like it had been his first time in there. The stuffed bear that sat on her window ledge seemed like it was staring at him. He thought about the animal casting judgy looks during the act and laughing loudly when Sam was struggling to get the condom open. He then had two thoughts: The bear goes in the closet, and he needs to practice how to open the condom now. He walked over to the window, picked up the furry thing and threw it in her closet. He shut the door behind it and walked over to his back pack, digging out the Trojan box. He went and sat back on the bed before removing one. He tried to open it with his teeth like he'd seen in the movies, but ended up failing miserably. He was now attempting to open one with his hands alone, but his palms were so clammy now, the packet kept slipping out of his grasp or merely stretching instead of ripping.

"Calm down, Sam. You're just freaking out, you need to calm down," he told himself out loud. He'd been waiting for this day for God knows how long, but now that it was actually happening; nervous didn't begin to describe him. He was wanted to make her feel good and was stricken with the irrational fear of not being able to. He was secretly glad she'd accidentally seen him naked and liked it, because now he didn't have to worry about whether or not she'd like what she saw. He was also afraid of hurting her, or hurting himself in some weird way, like cracking his head open on the bed post, or worse, bumping heads with her and knocking them both unconscious, only to be found the next day by her livid parents. Suddenly paranoid, he walked over and locked the bedroom door.

He needed to stop thinking about it. He looked up at the bathroom door and wondered what was taking so long. He then decided he ought to be ready when she came out, so he pulled his t-shirt off, followed by his jeans and socks. He left his underwear on, because he wanted to leave _something_ on. It was also kind of chilly in the house.

Mercedes already had the set on and was staring in the mirror. She would occasionally adjust the black teddy, afraid of her boobs looking weird. Her hair looked great, even though she figured it wouldn't by the end of the evening. She took a couple breaths and decided the longer she continued to stare at herself, the more things she would find to adjust. She just needed to go.

Sam was sitting on the side of her bed and thought maybe he should look more welcoming. He moved to the end of the bed, facing the bathroom door and sat there. Then he thought that probably looked too eager, so he got onto the bed completely and lay down with his hands behind his head. Then he thought that maybe looked a little douchey. So he moved to one side of the bed and folded his arms. No. He lay on his stomach and rested his head on his palms. No. He stood on his knees in the middle of the bed facing the headboard, staring at the whole thing and trying to figure out how to do this and look sexy. Maybe if he—

"What are you doing?" he jumped and swiveled around too quickly, causing him to fall off the side of the bed. Mercedes' eyes widened. She didn't mean to scare him.

"Sorry!"

"I'm okay!" he said, hopping up and holding his head with his eyes shut. It didn't hurt that bad, and the pain was quickly fading. He smiled and opened his eyes to tell her he was fine, but was immediately at a loss for words.

He mumbled something in Na'vi that she didn't understand, but assumed it was good because of the way he was licking his lips.

"I…wow, 'Cedes." She almost giggled at the sound of his deep voice suddenly cracking just then, because it was adorable. "Anyway, I was uh…" he said, trying to form his sentence, but finding it really hard. "I was just…I thought I should be on the bed and I couldn't figure out how to look and then I…well, I fell."

"Oh," she responded with an amused smile. Suddenly, she wasn't nearly as nervous. "How about we just get on it?"

"Good idea," he said, getting onto the side she didn't sleep on. She got on the other side, and they were now on their knees, facing each other. "Hi." He was staring at her in that underwear thinking about all the things he imagined doing, and all the things he'd hoped to do.

"Hi." She dipped her head at the blush forming in her cheeks. His intense stare made her feel naked already. He leaned forward and caught her lips with his, enjoying the taste of her lip gloss very much and settling his hands on her hips. She pulled away but he didn't, simply changing the location of his lips and planting them on her jaw and trailing his way down to her neck.

"What happened over there?" he disconnected himself from her and looked where her gaze was leading. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the sight of mangled gold packets on the pillow, two of them with the condom peeking out.

"I was trying to get them open to I could be quick when the time comes…" She laughed and kissed him again, highly amused by the effort he seemed to be putting towards the situation. He gently pushed her down so she was lying on her back and ran his fingers up her bare thigh and gripped the bottom of her teddy. Their tongues moved together and he moved to suck on her bottom lip before pulling away and looking her in the eyes. He tugged on the garment he had in his grip. She sat up slightly so he could pull it off. Once he did, he kissed her again.

"Are you ready?" he asked, licking his lips.

"Yes."

"You're sure? Because I mean, once we do this, there's no going back."

"I know." He smiled.

"Good, cause I don't want you to regret letting me…I mean…you know, cause your body is a temple and all. And I just want to be sure you're ready because—"

"Sam."

"Right, okay. Get to it," he said, kissing her again.

* * *

><p>When Sam opened his eyes, he realized daylight was pouring into the bedroom. He hadn't meant to stay the night and began to panic. Could he sneak by her parents?<p>

"They already left for work," Mercedes said, moving his arm that was wrapped around her so she could turn to face him. Once she did, he tightened his arm again, holding her against him.

"Oh. Mind-reader?"

"I heard you start breathing really fast. Knew you were panicking," she said, chuckling. She took him in, from his broad shoulders to his morning post-sex bedhead. A smile spread across her face and if possible, she snuggled closer to him.

"How do you feel?" he asked. The event had gone relatively smooth, aside from when he tried to get the condom open the first time, he ended up flinging it across the room. The second time, he got it. It seemingly hurt her once he was all the way inside, but it was okay, and when she told him to move, everything was fine.

"I feel fine, actually."

"Yeah? Good," he said, kissing her forehead. "Good enough to go again?" He shifted his eyes from side to side, partly joking to get a rise out of her.

"Maybe in an hour."

"Seriously?" His trademark grin was immediately on his face as he lifted up a little to look down at her.

"Seriously."

He happily settled back down next to her and took her hand in his.

"You know, I wonder if there's an interesting story behind how our son was conceived," he pondered.


	7. Chapter 7

****I've created a new word to describe this chapter: _angstalicious_. Bam. ******Haha, anyway I hope you enjoy. I apologize for any mistakes I missed.**

* * *

><p>"Split a cinnamon bun with me?" Mercedes looked up at Sam who was currently holding her hand in the line at the Lima Bean.<p>

"If you ask nicely," he said, smiling down at her. She did him one better and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Will you _please _split a cinnamon bun with me?" He laughed and wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Yes I will," he responded, kissing her nose. She pulled away and he grabbed her hand again, eliciting an 'aww' from the woman behind them.

"You know, we may be the only people around to get hot chocolate in the summer," he pointed out as they stepped closer in line.

"So what? And we live in Ohio, so the weather could change tomorrow," she said, shrugging.

It was their turn, so Mercedes ordered the drinks and the cinnamon bun she was looking forward to before pulling out her wallet to pay. She handed the cashier their total in cash as they waited for their hot chocolate to finish being made.

"That's a shame. Don't you know the gentleman's supposed to pay?" Mercedes whipped around to the woman behind them with a glare that would put the fear of God in anyone.

"How about you mind your damn business?" Mercedes reproached with a hand on her hip.

"I was just pointing out…"

"That you're nosy and rude?" she pointed, cutting off the woman's explanation.

"Cedes, leave it alone," Sam said quietly. He was now holding their drinks.

The sound of Sam's voice brought her down and Mercedes turned back around and reached for the cinnamon bun waiting on the counter, but not before sending the woman another gut-splitting glare.

* * *

><p>Sam was quiet the whole drive home, and now he was sitting one Mercedes' bed staring at the wall. Mercedes was sitting next to him with her legs crossed. She didn't want to press the issue, but now the awkward tension was beginning to suffocate her.<p>

"That lady was rude." Sam's gaze rose at her words and he let out a long sigh.

"I guess," he mumbled. Mercedes was wholly unsatisfied with that answer.

"You _guess_? How dare she comment on something that had to do with you, me, and the cashier? The gentleman is supposed to pay? What kind of bullshit is that?" He blew out another breath and looked at her. His eyes looked a lot more tired than they had earlier.

"See, the thing is 'Cedes, the gentleman_ is_ supposed to pay. That's how it goes." She rolled her eyes.

"Sam, this is 2011. Girls _do_ pay for things," she said, folding her arms. He groaned and got off of the bed.

"That's not what I'm saying! Your boyfriend can't even buy you a cinnamon bun." She stared up at him before rolling her eyes again.

"Because he's helping support his family. Sam, there's nothing wrong with not being able to pay when we go to Lima Bean. I get that you may feel emasculated, but there's nothing_ more_ manly than taking care of your family," she told him. He was pacing now.

"It's just…every time we go somewhere, I can feel people looking at us when you pull out your wallet. Even at the ice cream truck that comes to the lake! They see you paying for me and my little siblings and they think I'm some jerk who makes his girl pay for everything."

"People do not think that, Sam. And if they do, why should you care? We go out to have fun with each other. Money's not an issue," she said, willing him with her eyes to calm down.

"Yeah, as long as Mercedes is there with her magic bottomless wallet, everything's fine," he snapped. She straightened and stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm gonna let that slide because you're upset," she said as calmly as she could muster.

"It's true! I mean I know it's not your fault, but how do you think it feels dating the daughter of a dentist and a lawyer who doesn't need a summer job and gets whatever she wants as long as she asks? Then you want to go out, and I can't afford it, but it's okay! _You_ can pay. You can always pay as long as Daddy fills it up."

Mercedes' mouth dropped. She knew he was upset and saying things he didn't mean, but it hurt. She slowly got off the bed, and stood, facing him as he stood on the other side of it.

"I know that woman upset you today, but that's no excuse for being an asshole, Sam. Yes, I'm blessed, but I guess you haven't gotten it through your head that I don't take my life for granted, and something like paying for dinner at Breadstix is just me helping out so you can spend everything you make to help your family get out of the motel; but so I can still be with you and get you outside of my house or that room. It's just me trying to help because I love you and I want to see you smile." She stopped and blinked, trying to ignore the tell-tale burning sensation behind her eyes. "I mean, I thought I was just helping. But I guess you see it as me flaunting my good fortune like some spoiled Daddy's girl. I thought you knew me better than that."

She walked over to her bedroom door and opened it, looking at him expectantly.

"You should leave," she said. Realizing immediately how hurtful and irrational his words had been, Sam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry…I'm a dick. I just…"

"Really, you'd better go. I should get started on my AP reading anyway." She was avoiding eye contact now, and as soon as he saw a tear fall, he made the decision that he wasn't leaving until this was sorted. Seeing her smile was the best feeling in the world, and seeing her cry made his heart feel like it was being ripped to shreds.

He walked over and shut the bedroom door, causing her to look up at him.

"I'm not leaving," he said, reaching out to hold her. She stepped back and it felt like a slap in the face. "Cedes, I'm sorry. It's just, every time I start thinking about what's going on at home and the fact that I live in a motel, I get so…angry now. It doesn't make any sense for me to be mad at the world and everyone that has what I used to have, but recently when I'm reminded of it, it's like I turn into the Incredible Hulk.

"You're right. Being upset is no excuse for being an asshole. And I know you don't take anything for granted. You're the hardest working girl I know. I should be shot for even suggesting otherwise. I was just mad at myself and taking it out on you, because it's easy to." Her arms were folded, and she just stared at him.

"What? It's easy to take your anger out on me? Like I'm your punching bag?"

"No. Trust me; I know that you will gladly kick my ass into next month for disrespecting you if you had to. It's easy to, because I know that even if you do, you'll still love me," he told her honestly.

"Unfortunately."

"Yeah, unfortunately. Cedes, you mean the world to me. I can't stress that enough. If it wasn't for you, I'd be broken by now. Completely. It seems like you're always being strong for me, and I just want to be strong for you, but it's hard. I'm all screwed up right now."

She stared him down for several more seconds until her expression finally softened.

"I'm not forgiving you yet. It's too soon, and you should not be let off that easily," she said, turning her head and side-eyeing him. He smiled at her.

"Okay," he replied, walking behind his girlfriend and wrapping his arms around her. She felt him breathing on her, but refused to indulge him. He lowered his head started planting small kisses on her shoulder and made his way to her neck. He smirked when she tilted her head to grant him better access. He licked a spot on her neck and sucked on it, causing her to elicit a deep moan. He grinned and pulled away.

"Am I forgiven yet?" he asked, running his fingers up and down her arms.

"No."

* * *

><p>Sam trotted into the pizza shop with a blinding smile on his face and his uniform hat already on. He clocked in and eagerly took his spot behind the cash register next to Crystal, who was behind her own.<p>

"You look like you just got laid," she deadpanned. She was smirking and counting the money in her register. He blushed and tried to subdue the smile he was sporting, but failed. Crystal was correct, and that afternoon he _had _gotten Mercedes to forgive him at the cost of her vocal chords.

"I've just had a good day so far, I guess," he answered. Right then, Alex walked in through the front, putting on his baseball cap with the shop's logo on it.

"Hey Crystal, Sam," he greeted. He walked over to the counter and stopped to look Sam over. "What are you so smiley about?"

"He had a 'good day'," Crystal said, using air quotes. She winked at Alex and nudged him. Realizing what she was hinting at and eyeing Sam's neck, Alex made an 'O' with his mouth and nodded.

"Get it, Sam," he said before retreating to his office. Sam rolled his eyes.

"You guys are childish. I never even confirmed anything."

"No, but Joe and Sally did," she responded, leaning on the counter. Sam's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Joe and Sally…?"

"The names I've given the pair of hickeys on your neck."

* * *

><p>Sam walked into the motel, intending to take a shower, call Mercedes, and get some much needed sleep. He stopped when he opened the door, however, because both of his parents were sitting at the card table in the corner. Stevie and Stacey were on the bed watching cartoons. He knew his mom got off work later than him, but here she was, with tear-stained cheeks, holding his dad's hand, who sat across from her.<p>

"What's going on?" he asked, taking off his baseball cap. "Mom? Why are you crying?" He looked at his dad for an explanation.

"I'm crying because I'm happy, Sam." His mother smiled and waved him over. He walked up, sat in the third folding chair and looked back and forth between them.

"Things are looking up, son," his dad said, smiling. At those words, Sam jumped to the first and best conclusion.

"Did you get a job?" His mother's smile grew and her eyes began to water again.

"Yes, Sam, I did." His dad nodded, with a joy in his eyes Sam hadn't seen in a long time. He almost couldn't believe it.

"What? Oh my God…really!"

"Yep. It pays as well as my last one." At this, Sam jumped up and hugged him. The older blond laughed and wrapped his arms around his son. When Sam pulled away, he walked around the table and repeated the gesture towards his mom.

"This is the best day ever," he said, settling back into his seat. Great make-up sex with his girlfriend, an influx of tips at work, and now this made Sam want to mark this day on a calendar with a sticker that said 'Awesome'.

"There is one thing, though," his dad began. His mother's smile faltered a little, because she knew her son would not take this news as well.

"What?" Sam asked, beginning to worry.

"Well, the job is in Kentucky," his dad said, searching Sam's face for a reaction.

"Kentucky…" he repeated, tensing. "So we're moving?" His parents nodded.

Sam was having a hard time computing. Kentucky was hours away, and they'd be leaving Lima for good. He'd have to go to a new school. A school that Mercedes did not attend. Mercedes, his girlfriend, would be here in Lima, while he was in Kentucky.

"Excuse me," he said, getting up and leaving the motel room, ignoring his mother's protests.

He ran his fingers through his hair and paced back and forth by the railing. He kept repeating to himself that it was okay, and his future belonged with Mercedes; he saw it himself. This was just a hitch in the road. He kept repeating it, but it wasn't doing anything. The mantra failed to stop the tears that pricked his eyes. He dropped to ground under the window and leaned back against the brick, looking up to make the tears go back.

_This is just a hitch in the road_.

He_ kept_ repeating it, but he couldn't fight off the feeling that this was in fact, a dead end, and he'd never see her again.

* * *

><p>"Hey…I thought you had to work today?" Mercedes asked after opening her front door the next day to reveal Sam on her front porch.<p>

"I quit," he replied. His eyes were outlined with dark circles from lack of sleep and erratic crying spells. She was lost, but saw how awful he looked and opened her door wider. He gave a lifeless half smile and walked inside. She closed the door and walked him over to the couch.

"What's wrong?" she inquired, sitting down. He sat down as well and stared at her. Her eyes were filled with concern and he fought with everything in him not to start crying again.

"I'm leaving."

"What? Leaving…" she tilted her head as her eyebrows pushed together in confusion.

"My dad got a job in Kentucky," he said, avoiding her eyes. Realization hit her and he heard an intake of breath.

"Oh…so you're leaving. For good…" She was saying this to herself more than she was to him. She blinked to stop the heavy tears she felt forming from dropping. He finally looked at her, and his heart broke. A few tears had escaped and were making their way down her face. He grabbed her hands and held them in his lap.

"I know this looks bad…but I think if we really try…we can make it work, you know?" he said, looking at her hopefully.

"Make us work?" she clarified.

"Yeah, us. We love each other; we shouldn't let something like distance break us up, Cedes. We'll be back on our feet soon and I'll be able to get a laptop. We can video chat, IM, and I still have my phone so we'll always be able to just talk…why are you doing that?" He stopped when he saw that she was shaking her head while he was speaking.

"Sam…maybe this is a sign."

"What? Cedes, what the hell? A sign? We're supposed to be together. The future—

"Maybe that _was_ a dream, Sam," she said, even though she knew deep down that it wasn't.

"It wasn't a dream." He let go of her hands and stood. "You know it wasn't a dream, Mercedes. You _know_ it wasn't." She sighed and avoided looking at him.

"You know what? Fuck the future and fuck what I saw. We're meant to be together because _I_ know we are, and I don't need anything to convince me. I love you with my whole heart and even though you're acting like this, I know you do too. When two people love each other like we do…"

"Sam, stop," she said, cutting him off. She didn't want to hear it, because she knew if she did, letting him go would hurt more. She just wanted to let him go so this would hurt _less_.

"NO! When two people love each other like we do, nothing can tear them apart, 'Cedes. Not even state-lines. I'm gonna spend my life with you, okay? Somehow, some way."

She wiped the tears that were now freely falling and shook her head some more.

"Stop shaking your head!" he yelled, frustrated.

"What are we going to do, Sam? Video chat forever? Spend our senior year and most likely, our college years _pretending_ like we have a real relationship?"

"I can't believe you don't believe in us," he said, staring at her in defeated disbelief.

"I do! I…" she sighed. "I'm just trying to make this easier. It's just going to hurt more if we try the long distance thing."

"We don't know until we try…"

"I do know! It'll be like torture, Sam! Only being able to see you on a computer screen or hear your voice through a phone knowing your hours away and there's no way for you to physically be here. It'll make me feel worse."

Sam was crestfallen. He didn't know what to say. He understood, but it was hard to see past the fact that the girl he loved was sitting before him, telling him she didn't want to try. The burning sensation was back, and he shut his eyes, refusing to let himself cry again.

"I have to go finish packing. I told them I wouldn't be gone long. Stop by at seven tomorrow if you want to see us off. Stevie and Stacey would like it." With that, he walked over to the front door, opened it, and was gone.

Mercedes sank back into the couch and buried her head in her hands, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

**This is kind of a short one, but be patient with me, good things are coming. Enjoy!**

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><p>Mercedes wanted to take it all back. She wanted to call Sam and tell him she'd been stupid and they could work it out if they really tried, but it had been a month since he left and her nerves got the best of her; saying things like, <em>You didn't fight for him, he's moved on<em> and _He won't answer so don't bother_. She ignored the last bit and called him anyway. It rang for what seemed like forever, and finally went to voicemail. It was nine at night, so he couldn't have been that busy. She wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but her heart broke as she thought, maybe he did move on. She shut her phone off for the night and went to bed early.

"Fuck!" Sam yelled, after making a dive for his phone, which he'd left in the pocket of his jeans that had somehow made it to the bottom of the hamper. He prayed that it wasn't Mercedes calling to work things out, but lo and behold, that's exactly whose name flashed on his screen under 'Missed Call'. He immediately called her back. When it went straight to voicemail, it took everything in him not to throw his phone at a wall.

He fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It was really hard to have hope when he felt like the universe was working against him. He should have been happy. His dad had a job and so did he. They'd finally been able to rent a house a week and a half ago, and he had a bed to sleep in as opposed to a cot in the corner of a motel room. Stevie and Stacey were happy and making friends at their new school, and his mom was smiling again. When he looked at her, he no longer saw exhaustion and darkness; she was slowly morphing back into his mom, full of light and faith. He should have been happy.

But he wasn't. His happiness, it seemed, was back in Lima, Ohio probably asleep wrapped in purple bed sheets.

He stayed in his position for about an hour and only got up to shower and change into sweatpants before lying back down to go to sleep. He tried to think of any but Mercedes and the day's missed opportunity, but he could. He just hoped she would call back.

Going to bed with his ex-girlfriend on the brain was not the best thing to do. It caused him to dream about her and when she was just a few miles away and he could touch her. He wanted so bad to be able to touch her again, and it resulted in a cold sweat and sticky sheets. He looked down and groaned.

"Really, Sam?" he said aloud to himself. He felt like a thirteen year old boy all over again. He got up and peeled off his underwear and sweatpants, throwing them on the bed. He then went over to his dresser and yanked out an extra pair of pajama pants and pulled them on. The wet sheets and discarded clothing sat on his mattress, glaring at him, mocking his self-control. He shook his head and wrapped everything up in the fitted sheet and quietly exited his room to make his way to the washing machine.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, Sam grabbed a comic book from his stash under the towels and sat on the washing machine after it started.

"Sam?" he looked up to meet his mother's eyes, who was in her robe and wearing a look of concern.

"Mom…hey…" he closed the comic book and set it beside him.

"Why are you washing clothes this late at night?" she asked. Sam bit his lip and ignored the warm feeling in his cheeks.

"I'm washing sheets, actually." She was about to ask why, but realization dawned on the elder blonde woman and her mouth formed an O as she nodded.

"Sammy, do we need to talk about something?" His cheeks were completely red.

"What is there left to talk about?" he mumbled.

"Are you having…special dreams?"

"Mom!" She put her hands up in defense.

"Okay, okay! I'm just making sure this isn't going to be routine again," she said. He looked down trying to hide the blush that wouldn't go away after attempting to make her go back to bed with Jedi mind tricks failed.

She still wasn't leaving. After a few seconds she walked up and put her hand on his bare shoulder.

"Was it Mercedes?"

"_Mom!_" She backed away, fully aware of his embarrassment now.

"Sammy, honey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I remember…"

"Mom, please. It's fine. I'm just cleaning my sheets and it won't be a routine thing now. Please just go back to bed," he begged. She sighed and smiled.

"Okay, fine. But if you ever need to talk about your frustrations, do not be afraid to talk to me or your father." He gave a short nod and she went back down the hall to her bedroom.

The washing machine buzzer went off and he put his sheets in the dryer, deciding to just go back to bed and get them in the morning.

* * *

><p>Sam stared at the pair or red tighties being held in front of him.<p>

"You gonna take 'em or what?" Dave, also known as Cobra asked, shaking the underwear.

Sam sighed. He'd already accepted the job, but somehow he felt like taking his new "uniform" would seal the deal and he wouldn't be able to go back. As soon as the owner of the club waved a fat stack of cash in front of Sam's face, telling him he could make that much in one night, it was really hard to turn down the offer. He told himself it was only dancing for old ladies, and if it got the tv at home fixed, it was worth it. He'd be making a real contribution. But when it came down to right now, ten minutes before he was supposed to go on stage for the first time, it was becoming real: Sam was a _stripper_.

He took the red underwear from Dave's hands and grabbed the overalls he'd been assigned to off the stage.

"You nervous?" Dave asked, picking up his prop axe.

"Can you tell?" Sam asked.

"Your hands are shaking like crazy," the older man said, laughing. "Look, it'll be fine. The first time's always scary but then it becomes like second nature."

"Like…what do I do?"

"It usually works if you just do a bunch of body rolls. The ladies really just wanna see your abs," he explained. Sam demonstrated his best attempt at a body roll.

"Like that?" Dave tilted his head.

"Are you a virgin?" Sam's eyes widened and he blushed slightly, but shook his head. Dave continued. "How many times would you say you've done the deed?"

"Um…like, six?" Sam answered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"That's a good enough number. When you're up there, you gotta move like you're thrustin' into your lady. Push it in and up," Dave said, demonstrating a proper _body_ roll. "Just think back to when you're in the throes of passion, and move like that."

Talking about this was awkward, but Sam didn't want to get out there and make a fool of himself. He tried it again.

"Now _that's_ what I'm talkin' about, kid." Dave said, patting his back. "Get dressed, we're up in five."

* * *

><p>Dave was right. After a week of working at Stallions, the performance became like second nature. The more comfortable he became with the gig, the more comfortable he became with lying to his parents. He felt bad and only did so when he had to, but he knew they would disapprove, and his "raise at the Dairy Queen" had helped the process of getting them back on their feet immensely.<p>

It was his night off, so he was sitting on his bed and scrolling through Facebook on the laptop he'd finally been able to buy. He skimmed over statuses about football games and what was on tv that night until he stopped on a sentence that had immediately caught his attention.

Sam's throat when dry. He didn't react; he didn't know how to. He could only stare at the words until they became pixels with no meaning. Even then, he just stared. Upset did not cover his emotions in that moment. He didn't think there was one word to describe how he was feeling. Like he was being repeatedly punched in the guy with giant brass knuckles.

On the screen, next to a cute little pink heart, were the words _Mercedes Jones is now in a relationship with Shane Tinsley_.

He hated that pink heart. It mocked him. He stared for what seemed like several more minutes before shutting his laptop and pushing it aside. He thought about calling her. But what would he even say? _Congrats on the new boyfriend_? _Who the fuck is this asshole, I'm getting in my truck and coming to Lima right now to come screw some sense into you_? _How could you do this to me_? _How dare you get another boyfriend even though we broke up_? He decided against it and just sat there, feeling as if his grief would just consume him.

* * *

><p>Running into Finn and Rachel at Stallions, Sam felt like he'd been dreaming. When they told him why they were there, he definitely felt like he was. Hugging his parents goodbye, and having his mom whisper in his ear, "I know why you're going back, Sam. Send Mercedes our love", he'd officially decided he was in a dream-state.<p>

Things didn't feel real (seeing his friends, singing again, being _happy_), until he spotted her coming down the stairs in McKinley's east hall and grabbed her hand. In that instant, he believed he'd been this blessed to return to Ohio and that this was really happening. When her fingers instinctively wrapped around his, it was all the confidence he needed; no matter what she said after this point.

When Mercedes felt Sam's hand wrap around her own, she felt home. Since he left six months ago, even after meeting Shane and agreeing to go out with him after he wore her down, she still felt like she was in free fall. Everything around her was falling as well and there was nothing to grab onto, nothing to steady her, nothing to _save_ her. She could only reach out and scrape items, like standing up for herself in Glee club and joining to Troubletones, or forming new friendships, but nothing to keep her from continuing to spiral. When Sam's hand met hers, it was like she'd been caught, and everything around her had stopped falling. She was safe again, steadied.

She put on a strong face and asked him what he was doing, pulling away and telling him to his face what they had was a summer fling.

_A summer fling_.

Months ago, Sam's feelings would have been hurt. But being forced to grow up in such a short time had left him with a low-tolerance policy for bull-shit. Her lip quivered when she spoke the words, a tell-tale sign she was lying. She was awful at lying, because she just wasn't a liar by nature. It took a lot for him not to just roll his eyes at her.

"It was more than that," he responded simply, letting her know with his eyes that she wasn't fooling anyone. She went on to say how he'd always have a place in her heart but she'd moved on. He wasn't taking her seriously at all. What would their son say if he heard his Mommy talk like that? Sam fought the urge to chuckle at himself.

When she started walking away, he made his declaration to get her back loudly, for the whole hall to hear. He was not letting her walk away from this again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy! And the disclaimer I put on the chapter 1 still doesn't show, so,**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, but I'm sure you knew that.**

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><p>Sam wished Michael Jackson was alive to he could find the man and hug him. He'd been trying to get through to Mercedes for weeks, and this time he even said he would give up (a lie), but when she kissed him, he knew he was wearing her down.<p>

"Oh my God," she said, backing up. "Oh my God, I'm so stupid! Why did I just do that? Shane…" Same rolled his eyes at hearing the name.

"Shane?"

"I just cheated on him!" she yelled.

"Alright, 'Cedes calm down. It was just a little peck, it's not like we're writhing around on the stage," he said with his hand on his hip. Please. The kiss between Quinn and Finn he'd 'monitored' at the kissing booth when they were dating was more risqué. He shook his head.

"My lips should not be touching anyone but my boyfriend's," she said, folding her arms. Sam winced. Hearing her call someone else that would never cease the rub him the wrong way.

"Tell him it was a stage kiss. I mean technically it was; it was closed-mouth, and we're on a stage."

She sighed and started walking over to the stairs where the band members had once been. Once they saw a kiss was going to take place, they left immediately to give the two some privacy.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I still have a class to get to," she responded, not turning around to look at him.

"That you're thirty minutes late for," he pointed out.

"Well what else am I gonna do? Stay here with you?" She finally turned around and looked at him.

"That's exactly what you're gonna do," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to the middle of the stage.

"Look, Sam. Shane…"

"Oh my God," he said, raising his voice and cutting her off. "Can we stop talking about Shane for _five_ minutes? Fuck that guy!"

"Sam!"

"I'm not sorry. You know you don't love him, so why are you dragging this out?"

"I do…at least I think I can…Sam, just because you saw the future…" He let out a dry chuckle and shook his head, dragging his palm over his entire face in a gesture of exhaustion.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. Fuck what I saw. This is about us. About the fact that one minute you're telling me you love me and giving me your heart, your soul, and your _body_; the next, you're dismissing the whole time we were together as a summer fling. You love me, 'Cedes."

She didn't respond, she just folded her arms and avoided eye contact.

"And I love you. With literally _every_ fiber of my being, but you're acting like this is brand new information. We're meant to be together because we are. Bottom line. Yeah, I saw what's to come, and I know I'm gonna make you my wife and we're gonna have this adorable kid, but it doesn't matter. By now, I would know those things regardless of whether or not I saw them. You're it for me, Mercedes. And even though you're walking around school arm in arm with _Shane_, when I pass you can't help but make eye contact with me because you know that no matter what you do, _I'm_ it for _you_." He was now touching her face, making her look him in the eyes. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and it didn't bother him. He knew he wasn't causing them, _she_ was. Her and her attempt to battle what was real.

"Why did you come back…" she muttered, wiping her tears while trying not to ruin her make-up. She was asking, but she knew if he hadn't, at some point down the line, she would have lost her mind; more than she already had, anyway.

"You wanted it to be easy?" he asked, smirking.

* * *

><p>"Sam, stop." They were in the library and she was currently hiding her face in a book to quiet her giggles.<p>

"Stop what?" he asked, running his hand up and down her thigh under the table. He'd been this inappropriate the whole week, touching her when they were alone, openly flirting with her, no matter who was around, whispering things in her ear…

She swatted at his hand and he didn't move it.

"Oh, you want me touch you somewhere else?" he whispered, his hand rubbing towards her inner thigh.

She was still with Shane. She shouldn't have been, but every time an opportunity to break up with him approached, he'd look at her with this hopeful expression and she just couldn't do it. Logic would suggest since she still had a boyfriend that was not Sam, she should have been avoiding being alone with the blond at all costs, not here with him, encouraging him. She couldn't help it though. Sam's touch would always be the death of her. When he touched her, hell, when he _talked _to her, it was hard to remember anything important or pay attention to what else was going on; like having a boyfriend or being in a library.

Sam was irritated Shane was still in the picture, but was happy she wasn't pushing him away. He figured it was only a matter of time.

"You can't do this in a library," she said, covering her face.

"Then let's go back to your house," he replied simply, pulling his hand away. She looked at him with wide eyes. She almost couldn't believe he had the balls to suggest such a thing, but she didn't put it past this new persona he had. He didn't seem to give a fuck about much.

"My house…" she repeated. He stood.

"I didn't stutter, did I?" he asked, holding his hand out.

* * *

><p>Sam rested his chin on his fist as he watched Ms. Pillsbury fish for pamphlets. Mercedes was lucky he loved her as much as he did, otherwise he would have told her how dumb non-couple's counseling was and that he's not going. But here he was, asking for advice about the kiss when he already knew what needed to happen: she needed to break up with Shane already.<p>

When Emma handed them the pamphlets she'd been looking for, he fought really hard not to laugh at the Grease-esque cartoon characters under the words "So You're Dating a Two-Timing Ho". It sounded funnier when he read it out loud. In seconds, a list of people in Glee club in need of this piece of paper flashed through his head. He wondered if he should ask for more and pass them out, but decided against it.

"I don't sleep around," Mercedes told the ginger, her tone serious. He was listening to what she was saying after, but couldn't help but crack a smile at that. It meant she hadn't slept with Shane. He didn't think she did, but the confirmation felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. As she went on to explain her feelings to Ms. Pillsbury, he caught a whiff of Vanilla and closed his eyes. The smell was so her, and back in Kentucky when he was in a store, he'd stop and sniff Vanilla lotion, or chap stick, or scented candles just so he could have a physical reminder of the girl he loved back in Lima. He took out his phone to tweet that she smelled good and smirked when she got the email on her phone.

"Sam just tweeted that I smell good," she said matter-of-factly, looking ahead. He simply turned to her and whispered,

"I won't stop till it's trending."

Ms. Pillsbury went on to say that they needed to stop talking. Sam spent months in Kentucky not talking to her, but for some reason, right now, the sound of not communication with Mercedes for a week sounded awful. She didn't let them speak anymore after that, and told them in a week, they'd know their true feelings. Fair enough.

They spent the week glancing at each other and speaking without words, something they did most of the time anyway, especially when judging other glee club members.

Not talking also didn't mean they couldn't sing to one another, and that's exactly what they did. He felt like he was getting all the confirmation he needed that week.

When lunchtime came around at the end of their non-speaking period and he saw her walking towards him in the hallway, he smiled. She'd been waiting for him to, and the smile she wore told him everything. This week didn't make her question her feelings at all; if anything they were stronger.

And like a dark cloud over a parade, Shane came out of nowhere. He watched her plaster on this incredibly fake smile and walk off with him. Sam was confident Mercedes had chosen him, but seeing her walk off with him still felt like a swift kick in the balls. He hated to say, but it hurt his feelings. A lot. All he could do was sigh and turn back around, walking the other way.

He'd call her later.

* * *

><p>"Sam…" He grinned against the skin on her neck and bit down, eliciting a deep moan from her.<p>

"You like that?" he asked, doing it again. She'd been trying to tell him they need to stop, and that they'd crossed the line, but the only thing she managed to get out was a "Yes," so he would keep going.

He sat up for a moment to pull his shirt off, and she noticed he was bigger than the last time she'd seen him shirtless; like he spent a lot of the time he was away in a gym. He looked even more like a calendar model, and it was doing nothing for her resolve. He tossed it aside and leaned back down to kiss her. She gripped his hair and nearly dissolved on the spot when he began sucking on her bottom lip. His hand voyaged up her shirt and stopped to grope one of "the girls" as he called them upon reuniting. When the same hand reached into the waist-band of her underwear, she knew if she didn't stop him right now, it'd be a wrap.

"Sam, stop," she said, gently pushing him off and sitting up. He rolled off of her looking like a kicked puppy.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She sat on the edge of the bed and knew she had to say it, but she also knew it would piss him off like it always did.

"Shane…" She heard him let out a loud, aggravated sigh.

"Why the hell is he even a factor still?" he asked. She didn't chance turning around to look at him.

"I can't just break up with him. He'll want to know why, and they I'll have to tell him and it'll be awful…"

"You know what'll be more awful, 'Cedes? Following this guy to college in your sham of a relationship, hell, maybe even getting engaged or even married! Only to have him find you in some hotel room or in the master bed of your home with _me_, because you know we can't stay away from each other, thus causing a nasty divorce and a lot of heartache before we're able to get married and start _our _life together. Why do you want to complicate things?" She knew he was right. That didn't mean she had to say it out loud.

"You're exaggerating."

"Just dump him, 'Cedes. I know that sounds harsh, but it's what's best before you _really_ hurt him," he said, even though they both knew they were past that. If Shane found out what they'd been doing, neither wanted to think of his reaction.

"I can't just _dump_ him. I do actually like Shane. He makes me happy…"

"No he doesn't." Sam's voice was tired and uninterested. Simply put, he was tired of dragging this out.

"He does," she said quietly, more to herself. Sam crawled over and kissed her shoulder. It was time to get real with her.

"You will _never_ think about Shane the way you think about me," he told her. To an outsider it seemed cocky, but they both knew it was true. "You're supposed to go to sleep at night thinking about your boyfriend, but who do you think about?"

"You," she replied so quietly that if he wasn't so close, he would have missed it. He put his finger on her chin and turned her face to him so he could kiss her. He pulled away and kissed her jaw.

"Be honest with yourself here. Shane is never on your mind when it counts. When it comes to friendship, love, sex…it's always me. When you touch yourself…"

Her breath hitched.

"Who are you picturing?" She didn't dare answer. She just looked in the other direction.

"Who's whispering your ear and stroking you till you come, 'Cedes? Is it ever Shane? It's not." he said, answering for her. "This," he said, cupping between her legs. "belongs to Sam." She closed her eyes, wishing that he would disappear that moment and stop torturing her.

"You're not even thinking about him when you're _with_ him. Otherwise you wouldn't spend the whole lunch period looking at me over his shoulder. Stop guilt-tripping yourself so you can be happy with me again."

She finally looked him in the eye and he took her hand, wordlessly pleading further.

"I'll tell him about us this week, okay?" Sam closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. He felt like this was the home stretch.

Not much longer now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi! It's been a minute, but here's the update. All I'm gonna say is, prepare for a couple time jumps from here on out and the italics indicates a flashback to the summer. Hope you like it, and sorry for any mistakes I missed.**

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><p>Sam was trying not to lose his cool. It had been a week, and she was still with Shane. When he asked her about it, she'd say she was working on it and leave it at that. To say it irked him would be the understatement of the century. So when his phone rang at midnight in the middle of the week, he got a little excited.<p>

"Hello?" he said, answering the phone.

"Hey…it's me," she said on the other end. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm aware, 'Cedes, I have caller ID and a personalized ring tone."

"Oh? What's my ringtone?" she asked.

"Have you ever heard the song Miss New Booty?" He heard her laugh, and even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was shaking her head.

"It better not be."

"I guess you'll never know," he said, smirking. He actually hoped she never found out what it really was: _Burnin' Up_ by the Jonas Brothers. After the flack he got for liking Justin Beiber, he decided to keep all other musical guilty pleasures out of conversation.

"I'll find out one day."

"So…why are you calling me?" He heard her sigh.

"I can't call you anymore?" He rolled his eyes again.

"Of course you can call me, I was just hoping it was a special occasion," he told her, referring to the Shane situation.

"Oh. Not yet," she said quietly. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hand down his face, lying back against his pillows.

"Honestly Mercedes, I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with this."

"Are you about to give up?" He blew out a breath and looked at his ceiling. Why would she ask that?

"No. Never. But it's kind of an asshole move for you to test that theory."

"Did you just call me an asshole?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Sam!"

"What?" He was not as happy as he was at the beginning of this conversation, and he was suddenly tired.

"I promise…"

"You'll do it soon," he said, finishing her sentence with the excuse she'd been giving him for a week now.

"I _will_," she told him.

"I should get some sleep. English test tomorrow."

"Can you stay on the phone a little longer?" She really called because she severely missed hearing his voice, and couldn't get to sleep that night thinking about him. She knew it was her own fault, but she was still miserable.

"Fine," he said, remembering how she used to call him at night during the summer so she could get to sleep when she was having trouble.

"Thanks, Sam."

"Mmhm. So what are you wearing?" She laughed and a grin threatened to appear on his face.

"Footie pajamas," she responded.

"Wow. I'm getting hard thinking about it."

* * *

><p>"<em>How much do you love me?" he asked her, resting his head on top of hers.<em>

"_More than Rachel loves herself," she answered jokingly. He laughed and held her tighter, looking out at the lake._

"_That's a lot. Almost too much to handle," he said, grinning._

"_I know. To think, I said _more_ than that."_

"_But really, how much?" he asked again. He wanted to hear it. He was confident that she loved him; he just wanted to know how much. He'd come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't be able to live without her and the flash-forward had nothing to do with it. Sometimes he was afraid she loved him because she felt like she was supposed to; like he'd felt a long time ago._

"_Do you really wanna know? Do you want me to list it out?" she asked. He simply nodded into the top of her head. She pulled away and sat across from him with her legs crossed._

"_Shit just got real, didn't it?" he asked, laughing. She laughed as well, but it faded and she looked at him seriously._

"_I love you more than I can really put words into, though I'll try. It's weird, but it feels like you're a limb." He smiled and raised an eyebrow, while she let out a small chuckle. "Like, if I ever were to lose you, it would be like someone cutting my leg off and expecting me to go bike-riding. It doesn't matter how the rest of the world sees you or how many flaws you may have, because in my eyes you're perfect, and that's _because_ I love you._

"_I love every part of you, Sam. Your dance moves that leave a lot to be desired," He scoffed. She just smiled. "your big hands, right down to your obviously bitten down fingernails, your ability to make me laugh or make any situation more awkward, your lips, and how they curl into a straight line when you're in deep thought, and your green eyes that change in intensity depending on your mood; light green when you're having fun, dark green, almost black when you're turned on. I even like your feet, and I _hate_ feet." He laughed at that._

"_You can do no wrong, Sam. You can piss me off, and honestly you do on a regular basis, but you could never do anything to make me fall out of love with you. Even if one day you leave me and break my heart into a million pieces, it'll always belong to you. I love you as much as it's possible to love anything, and it blows my mind every day that you're mine and I could feel this way." She leaned forward and resting her chin on her knees, smiling at him. Sam felt the back of his eyes burn and closed them so he wouldn't start crying in front of his girlfriend._

"_So you love me a lot, then." She giggled._

"_Yes, I love you a lot."_

* * *

><p>Sam wasn't really sure why he was still in synchronized swimming, considering it had been confirmed Mercedes still had feelings for him and didn't need convincing, but for some odd reason he felt a certain loyalty to Coach Roz. He walked into the locker room after practice and sat on a bench wiping his face with his personalized towel.<p>

He heard some other guys come in and gather in the locker block next to him. When they began talking, he could immediately identify one of the voices as the same one that said he would "pull through" after getting slushied the week before. He rolled his eyes. The mere sound of Shane's voice bothered him.

"So, Mercedes," one of the guys said. "You hittin' that Tinsley?"

Sam held his breath, praying the answer would be no.

"Hey. Don't talk about my woman like some kind of object," Shane said. Sam liked that the guy obviously respected Mercedes if anything, but kind of wanted him to answer the question.

"My bad. Have you guys _made love_?" If possible, Sam swore he could hear the other guy rolling his eyes.

"No, man. Mind your business. We're both virgins and we're gonna do all that on our wedding night," Shane responded. If Sam had been eating something, he would have choked on it.

He wasn't sure which to focus on first: the fact that she officially had not slept with Shane (though he knew; but to hear the guy say it was great), or the fact that she'd obviously lied to him about the status of her virginity, which was non-existent.

That afternoon after the God Squad meeting, he stopped her at the door. Quinn and Joe had just left and they were alone.

"So I heard something interesting today," he started. She rolled her eyes.

"That Shane's not a member of the God Squad? We established that."

"No, that you're still a virgin." Her eyes widened and she backed into the room. He followed her and sat on the table.

"Unless there's a magical virginity restoring fairy, that's quite false."

"That's what I said! But Shane _insisted_…"

"WHAT?" she yelled. She calmed herself and tried to continue in an even tone. "Please don't tell me you talked to Shane."

"So you_ did_ tell him you were a virgin. You're lying to him now?" he asked.

"I panicked! He was talking to me about marriage and how we'll both give ourselves to each other and all I could do was agree with him. How bad would it have been if I interjected and said, well _actually_…"

"I had sex with the guy I'm in love with _multiple_ times over the summer and I still have his Magnum condoms in my bedside drawer?" he finished for her. She glared at him.

"Okay, yes. What does it matter?"

"You're right!" he said. "It doesn't matter because you're about to break up with him so we can be together and _continue_ to lose your virginity many more times." He smirked even though he was dead serious and basically asking her why she hadn't done it yet.

"Today!" she yelled.

"Wait…what?"

"Today. I'll tell him today."

"Don't joke around about this," he told her.

"I'm not. I'll go find him and do it now," she said.

"What? Seriously? Just like that after you've been dragging this out?"

"I know, and I'm _tired_ of dragging it out. I just need to do it. Like ripping off a band-aid." He jumped up and went to kiss her, but his lips met her palm. "Not yet."

* * *

><p>Mercedes drove home that day feeling awful. She'd gone over how telling Shane could go in her head a million times before, but when it actually happened, she wasn't prepared. When he started crying as she told him about kissing Sam, she felt like the worst person in the world. She'd been dreading the moment since Sam returned, but now that it was happening, the weight of what she'd been doing hit her like a ton of bricks.<p>

Not only did she feel bad about cheating physically, she felt terrible because all the times she'd been with Shane, she was thinking about Sam. It wasn't fair to him, and she thought she was a better person than that. She felt like she wasn't any better than Quinn, Santana and Rachel. Mercedes Jones would have never done these things to someone, yet she had.

"_I can't…I don't know what to say, Mercedes. It feels like you just punched me in the heart."_

Those words replayed in her head right up until she'd gotten home, gone up to her room and snuggled under the covers. Sam kept calling her and sending her texts like 'How'd it go?', 'Did you do it?' and 'Can I come over?'

She couldn't bring herself to respond, so she'd simply shut her phone off. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to the summer where things weren't complicated and he never left. Where she'd been a good person.

She decided she couldn't just _be_ with Sam like she'd planned to hours before. She couldn't imagine being in Shane's shoes; having your girlfriend make you cry, break up with you, admit to cheating, and skip down the halls the next day on another guy's arm. The idea of it was sick, and she refused to be that girl. She also felt like she didn't deserve to go back to Sam and be happy again. How dare she think she could just do that to someone and then go back to how things were? This whole situation had her wondering who she even was anymore. Getting back together with Sam wouldn't fix that.

Sam sat on his bed staring at the unanswered texts on his phone. He tried calling her again, but this time it went straight to voicemail. She was ignoring him. He figured there could be only on reason she was, and jumped to the conclusion that she hadn't broken up with Shane. That annoyed him, but not as much as the fact she wouldn't even take his calls. He sighed and gave up, setting the phone on his nightstand.

He figured he might as well get started on her Valentine's Day gift.

* * *

><p>On the list of shittiest things to ever happen to him, Sam would have to put this V-Day third on the list, after losing his home and having to move and leave Mercedes. When she told him she actually <em>did<em> break up with Shane, he was ready to be all over her right there in the hallway, but when she stopped him, he felt his heart sink into his stomach. They were supposed to be together now. That was the plan, right?

Apparently not. She told him how she lied, cheated and didn't know who she was anymore. If he wasn't blinded by how much he loved her and the fact that they were both free now, he would have _really_ listened. But he only heard one part.

_I can't be with you_.

So Shane felt like he'd been punched in the heart, but right now Sam felt like she'd grabbed his heart, placed it in the door of her locker, slammed it repeatedly, taken it out and done river dance on it with metal shoes.

If there had been any chance of him making it through the day without breaking down, it was obliterated with she sang him that song in Glee club. He sat there, tears streaming down his face in front of all their friends until he couldn't take it anymore and ran out of there.

When he got outdoors, he screamed and punched a locker. The pain shot up through his wrist and arm, but he ignored it and continued to the parking lot. He couldn't think rationally; the only thing going through his mind was the idea that she was _trying _to hurt him. She looked beautiful and sang beautifully, but all he could think about was the fact she'd just told him they couldn't be together. It was ridiculous, because they were _supposed_ to be.

He walked home, leaving his truck at the school.

The only silver lining in this situation was the fact that Sam no longer had to see her hugged up to Shane. After having time to think about it though, he felt bad. All he could think about earlier on was Mercedes and her turning him away. Now he realized they'd actually hurt Shane. Yes, he hated the guy for sweeping her up when he left and being a constant cock-block when he returned, but all in all, he was a good guy.

However, he didn't feel nearly as bad as Mercedes. Yeah, what they did was wrong, and Shane didn't deserve it, but she was his and he was hers. Shane was just unfortunate enough to get caught in the middle because she'd lost faith in them. He understood now that she needed time, but he hoped she'd remember how real they were. She knew they'd never cheat on each other, yet she suggested it could happen unless she found herself.

He knew he did all those things because he wasn't thinking about anything but them. He loved her so much, that everything else ceased to matter. He shouldn't have been so blinded, and he admitted that.

All he could do now was wait for her. He was sick of waiting, but he was going to anyway. There was no way he would stop; she was his future and if he had to sit around for years, it would suck, but he would do it.

If Mercedes had planned on talking to Sam about their relationship in the next few weeks, the universe was telling her no. With Karofsky attempting suicide and Quinn getting hit by a truck, the timing just wasn't right. She was beginning to think these were signs. Maybe she shouldn't be thinking about a relationship with him so soon, but honestly a few weeks seemed like enough.

Now it had been two months, and part of her was afraid he wouldn't care anymore. Then she told herself to remember who she was talking about.

She tried not to think about their supposed future together and their son. Maybe she really wasn't supposed to be with anyone for a while. She would always catch him staring at her though. She should have been used to it, but every time she looked up to find those green eyes trained on her, it drove her crazy. Whenever she felt like caving, she tried to remind herself of what she did to Shane. It used to work, but it was losing its effect.

She figured the best approach was to avoid thinking about Sam. But it was hard when he'd look at her or smile or speak, or send her those annoyingly sweet texts like 'You look gorgeous today' or 'Hope you do well on your test. :)' He was being a dick and he knew it.

She walked out of the school at the end of booty camp and headed to her car. She took her sweet time changing back into her clothes in the locker room and almost everyone was gone now. So when she saw a figure leaning against her front door, she tensed.

When she walked up, the man who'd been waiting for her stood up straight and grinned, bearing surprisingly white teeth, contrasting his scruff and long beat up coat.

"I don't have any money on me…" she started.

"Oh, I don't need any money, Mercedes."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and excuse any mistakes I missed!**

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><p>"How do you know my name?" she asked, stepping back.<p>

"I'm not going to hurt you, there's no need to be afraid," he responded, taking note of her sudden fear. "I'm just here to help you along."

"Help me along?" She furrowed her eyebrows and kept her distance.

"Do you know what your future holds?" he asked. She froze. Creepy man waiting in the parking lot talking about the future? She'd heard that before.

"You're that…guy that showed Sam…"

"We're not here to talk about Sam, Mercedes."

"What are we here to talk about?"

"I'm going to give you the opportunity to see your life fourteen years from now for fifteen minutes. You can take it or leave it," he said. She thought about it for a couple seconds and gulped. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Then again, she'd beat herself up for letting this chance slip away.

"Okay. Fine." He smirked and held his hands out.

"Touch your fingertips to mine."

_When Mercedes opened her eyes, she was met by a light coming from a lamp. She let her vision adjust and saw that it sat on a dresser next to the bed she was in._

"_Oh look, Mommy's awake." That was the one thing that didn't confuse her. She knew that voice anywhere. She sat up and looked to her side to find Sam smiling and holding a baby, feeding it out of a bottle._

"_She was crying, you were sleeping, I figured I'd just take care of it," he told her, bouncing the baby lightly in his arms._

"_Oh," was all she managed to say. The image of Sam in bed next to her feeding an infant was a little much. Was it theirs? Of course it was._

"_How are you feeling?" he asked._

"_Um…fine?" He smiled again. She bit her lip and took him in. He was even better looking, which meant he was probably still a jerk who used his charm to deflect when she was upset with him. She bet he was no different._

"_Good. I was really worried. I thought you might be pregnant again, but I'm pretty sure that's impossible," he said, nodding down to the baby girl in his arms._

"_Can I hold her?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow._

"_You sure you still don't feel sick? Cause you usually don't ask so nicely. It's more like, 'Alright Sam, give me my daughter and go away'," he said with a smirk. She couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes. Yeah, he was the same. He leaned over and put the baby in her arms and handed her the bottle so she could resume feeding her._

_A few minutes passed of Mercedes just feeding the newborn and smiling. She had brown eyes and looked like Sam._

"_Dad! They just did a Plastic Man sketch on SNL! I paused it so you could see!" a little boy in flooding Superman pajamas yelled, running into the bedroom._

"_Who said you could watch SNL?" Sam asked._

"_I…nevermind," the boy said, closing the door and running back out. Sam shook his head and looked at Mercedes._

"_I had to go all day without any sugar whatsoever. I mean, I know you were sick but what about my needs?" he asked. She laughed. He scooted closer, put a hand on the baby in her arms and nuzzled the side of Mercedes' face so she would face him. When she did, he smiled and pressed his lips to hers._

"_I can't wait till she gets old enough to sleep a full night so I can get more than bathroom quickies," he murmured against her lips._

"You can open your eyes now." Mercedes' eyes fluttered open and she saw the man from before standing there looking smug.

"Oh. Sorry," she said, looking down and blushing. When she looked back up, he was gone.

She sighed and got into her car. She didn't drive away though; instead, she pulled out her phone and stared at Sam's name in her contacts. They hadn't talked in what they would both consider to be way too long and it was clear her future with him hadn't changed. She just wasn't sure how to approach it.

The week was spent doing to opposite of what she should have been doing. She'd see Sam, turn a corner and walk the other direction, opting to take the long way to class. In English, she'd pretend he wasn't there and avoid eye contact. Glee club was a little harder. They were being forced to do disco and whenever they ended up standing idly by the dance floor, it was like they gravitated toward each other. She'd look up and there he was. She made a point to stand far away and somehow, every time, they ended up next to one another. When his hand brushed hers, she moved away. He didn't show any emotion until she won the supposed dance contest, after which he clapped and grinned at her, like nothing was ever awkward and he'd always be proud of her. She fought a blush, which was easy, because the name called next had all their faces covered in confusion. Finn? Mercedes wasn't dumb; she knew something was going on then.

She was right. She didn't want to be, but she was. And she was annoyed by the fact Mr. Shue assumed she didn't know what she wanted her future to be. She did, it just scared her. It was also annoying that he suddenly seemed to care, calling her 'the cream' after her performance for the assignment. She was back on good terms with him, but she didn't forget.

But hearing the words leave Sam's mouth made them more believable. When he showed her the video of her performance on YouTube and she asked why he did it, she already knew the answer. For some reason, she just wanted to hear it. She was glad he ambushed her, because had she seen him ahead of time in the hallway, she would have ducked the other way.

"I have to tell you something," she said. They were still in the empty classroom, and the laptop was now closed.

"What?" He was holding her hand with both of his, rubbing the smooth skin by her knuckles.

"I…saw that guy."

"What guy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The one you talked about. The homeless looking wizard guy," she said. His eyes bulged and he scooted closer.

"Are you serious? What happened? What'd he say to you?" The questions shot out of his mouth without breaks or pauses.

"He showed me the future," she said quietly. He wasn't sure why, but for a split second, he got nervous. Did she see herself with someone else? Were they divorced? Did someone die?

"Wh-what did you see?"

"You." His expression softened and he smiled at her.

"What else?"

"We were in bed…"

"A bed with white sheets, a tan comforter and a bunch of pillows?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling at the memory. "and you were holding a baby girl."

"What? Oh my God, we have a girl?" She nodded.

"It looked like she was just born and you were feeding her. You said I was sleeping and you went to take care of it when she started crying. Then you gave her to me and this little boy came in the room. Wild hair, green eyes, Superman pajamas." She saw him grin and bite his lip. It's not like he needed confirmation that what he saw was real, but hearing the description of his son and knowing she saw him made it all the more real in his head.

"Told you," he said, kissing her knuckles.

"Yeah. He wanted you to come watch something on SNL, and you asked him who said he could watch that. He looked like he knew he was in trouble and left, saying nevermind," she told him. Sam chuckled.

"I watched SNL when I was way too young."

"Think he might grow up doing impressions?" she asked.

"I hope so. He's gotta pull a girl, right?" She laughed.

"Right." They sat there for a few moments just staring at each other with smiles on their faces. He was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat and leaning forward.

"So we're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. We're okay. Sorry," she replied.

"Sorry for what?"

"For avoiding you. Even after I saw the future. I was just scared. I'm not sure why now, but I was."

"Sorry for pushing so hard," he responded.

"Apology accepted. Can we go back to being crazy about each other?" she asked.

"Oh, I never stopped, I just had to be quiet about it."

"Well no more being quiet about it," she said. He nodded and stood, running over to the door.

"EVERYONE, LISTEN UP." Her eyes widened and as he went on with "MERCEDES JONES AND I ARE" she was already across the room, grabbing him from behind and trying her best to cover his mouth.

"What?"

"Will you stop?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"But I thought…"

"That is not what I meant," she said, pulling away from him and shaking her head.

* * *

><p>A few weeks later, Sam was heading down the stairs of the Jones house to get more chips. He was over watching horror films with Mercedes, and that's actually <em>all<em> they were doing. Her parents were home.

He walked into the kitchen and went straight to the "snack" cabinet to get more Doritos and possibly some cookies.

"Hi, Sam." He jumped and almost dropped the big plastic bowl he was holding. He was so focused on getting more food he hadn't noticed Mr. Jones sitting at the kitchen table with a book in his hands.

"H-hey Mr. Jones…" he responded, setting the bowl on the counter and grabbing the Doritos bag he'd been eyeing.

"Did I scare you, son?"

"Only a little, I didn't see you there." The taller man smiled and gestured to the chair across from him. Sam set the bag down and sat down like he was told.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, if that's okay."

"Yes sir?" The few times he'd spoken to Mr. Jones, they'd all been pleasant, so he wasn't sure why he felt uneasy. The man closed his book and clasped his hands together.

"I don't think it's a good idea if you follow Mercedes to Defiance," he said. Sam's breath hitched. Not because of what the man said, but because he was getting into a position with his girlfriend's dad in which he would have to lie. Last week, they'd made the final decision that they were going to LA together. They even had a few apartments lined up to look at with _Puck_. He was iffy about that at first, but it was best if they wanted to save money. After deciding all of this, they didn't tell her parents. They knew it would blow up in their faces at some point, but hopefully that would be when they're already across the country. She wasn't going to Defiance.

"Oh…" He inwardly slapped himself for not having anything to say.

"It's not that I have a problem with you, Sam. I think you're a great kid. I almost consider you apart of this family, as much time as you spent in this house over the summer; even when we weren't here." He said the last part raising his eyebrow and giving Sam and 'I know what goes on under my roof' look. He didn't seem angry though; almost amused. "And I'm very aware that my daughter loves you. Therefore, I love you," he said laughing.

Sam laughed nervously and smiled at the man.

"But I do think you let your love for _her_ blind you."

"Sir?"

"We both know how talented Mercedes is. She can sing that little…Raquel or whatever her name is out of the water," he said. Sam nodded.

"She can."

"But I know that when you're with her, you're filling her head with fantasies."

"Fantasies?"

"Yes. We all know she's talented, but this is the real world. The chances of being famous for singing are one in a million, Sam. Singing is a nice hobby for her, but she needs to focus on a real degree and career now. Understand?"

"Yeah." No, he didn't understand. He figured if anyone could be famous for their voice, it was his girlfriend. Singing wasn't a _hobby_ for her. It was a calling. "But um, if you don't mind me asking, what does this have to do with me?"

"I'm happy that you encourage her to quote on quote 'follow her dreams', but I don't think you should follow her to school so you can tell these things to her regularly. Next thing I know, she'll drop out and go chase some unrealistic dream. I just need her to _focus_. I don't think she can do that with you encouraging her."

Sam stared at the man, his face showing no emotion. He was a little annoyed, but he almost couldn't help but feel sorry for him, for he was going to be met with a rude awakening after graduation.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, sir. But um, you don't have to worry." Mr. Jones raised an eyebrow.

"I don't."

"No, I can't afford to go to a private college or really anything in that area, so Mercedes and I were going to take a break while she went to school," he lied. The man smiled and visibly relaxed.

"Well good. I'm glad you kids have your heads on straight. I just wanted to have this talk and make sure. She's been talking about a lot of craziness lately, so I was concerned."

"It's all good, Mr. Jones," Sam said with a fake smile.

"Great. You can get that junk food you came down here for now," he said with a small laugh. Sam got up and gathered the snacks before jogging back upstairs.

* * *

><p>"WE'RE FREE!" Rachel squealed, raising her red cup and grinning. The New Directions, including all the underclassman members were gathered in Rachel's basement for what she called "one last hoo-rah". Graduation ended earlier that day and some of them still had their red caps on.<p>

Everyone was pretty far gone, save for Puck, Finn, Santana and Blaine.

"Evans," Puck said, plopping down on the couch next to Sam.

"Puck! Puckasaurus! Puckster!" Sam yelled, hugging his friend tightly. "How are you man? Are you good?" Puck shook his head at the blond and ignored the question.

"Where's Mercedes?" he asked.

"Mercedes! Where…I don't know! One moment we were about to…and now she's…where'd she go man?" He grabbed the sides of Puck's face. "Dude! Where's my girlfriend! What did they do to her?" Puck raised an eyebrow and shook out of his grasp.

"What did who do her?" Sam's eyes widened and he leaned in close, dropping his voice so no one would hear.

"The Romulans," he whispered.

"You're shit-faced, man." Sam didn't pay attention becuase he saw Mercedes exit the bathroom. He jumped up and ran over.

"YOU'RE SAFE!" he yelled, hugging her. She stumbled in his arms and laughed. He rubbed his nose against hers before kissing her and dropping his arms to her waist. He'd backed her against a wall when he felt Santana pull him off.

"Hey!" he pouted. She smirked and took Mercedes' hand.

"The Troubletones are doing a final number, Lady Lips," she said before taking Mercedes with her to the stage where Brittany and Sugar waited.

"This song is about happy!" Sugar squealed into her microphone. Brittany jumped up and down and Santana cued the music while Mercedes signed 'I Love You' to Sam, who was now standing next to Blaine and Kurt, who was already swaying. He beamed and looked at Blaine, poking his shoulder.

"That was for me. That's…" he hiccupped. "That's my girl up there, you know?"

"Yes, Sam, I know," Blaine responded, smirking and shaking his head.

"Come here," the blond said. Blaine leaned in so Sam could whisper in his ear.

"We're gonna fuck later," Sam told him, grinning. Blaine leaned back into his standing position and turned pink in the cheeks.

"I'm uh, happy for you."

When the girls began singing, almost everyone was dancing. Sam was jumping, and Kurt was doing an odd interpretive dance, waving his arms around himself.

Later that night (or morning), Sam and Mercedes found themselves walking up the driveway of her house. They decided to walk to Rachel's party since they both fully intended on getting smashed. Now she was sneaking him in through the garage because her parents were asleep. She put her finger to her lips and stifled a giggle. He repeated the action like a 5 year old learning signs.

They both went in and took off their shoes. Sam took his with him up the stairs so her parents wouldn't find the Chucks in the morning and barge into her room demanding an explanation. When they got to her room, she closed the door and looked at him with a big smile on her face.

"What?" he said.

"I wanna dance," she responded, grabbing his hand and pulling him against her. He grinned and rested his chin atop her head.

"There's no music," he pointed out after they'd been swaying for a few minutes.

"Make some," she told him. He settled on humming the Power Puff Girls theme song over and over. She smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned on his chest. In her head, this was romance at its best.

* * *

><p>"Are you nervous?" Sam asked, loading her bags into his trunk in the Hudmel's driveway. They were meeting Puck in the McKinley parking lot in fifteen minutes. They had money, food, and anything else they thought of packed up. It had been a month since graduation, and they were about to drive across the country.<p>

"Yeah, but in a weird way. Like I just want to get it over with and be there already," she responded.

"You gonna miss 'em?" he asked, shutting the trunk and going around to open the passenger door for her. She stopped and leaned next to the opening.

"I am, but I know I'll see them again sometime in the future. When they stop hating me."

"Your parents could never hate you, 'Cedes," he told her. She smiled and nodded.

"I know. I suppose it's just time to leave the nest." He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips before she got into the truck. He closed the door behind her and went to get in on his side.

When he pulled out of the driveway, she gripped his hand and he laced his fingers with hers, driving to McKinley so they could follow Puck to Los Angeles.

"I'm kind of excited. I mean, this won't be easy, but I've always wanted to see LA," he said.

"Yeah. The change in scenery would be nice, too."

"And I'll have you with me," he said with a smile, quickly glancing over to her.

"And Puck." She smirked at him and he playfully scowled.

"Yes. And Puck."


	12. Chapter 12

**Only thing I need to say is, in the story, Puck still has his LA money and did not give it all to his dad. Other than that, I really hope you enjoy the chapter. Sorry for any mistakes I missed!**

* * *

><p>"There is literally nothing exciting about Kansas. I need to get drunk," Puck muttered.<p>

"Good luck with that," Mercedes said from her seat across the table. The three of them were in a diner in some small town in Kansas. Puck sat in the booth playing with sugar packets and Sam was leaning against the wall with his arm around Mercedes, who was leaning on his chest.

"There has to be a club or a bar or something around here…"

"You can always ask Agnes over there," Sam said, nodding towards the old woman folding napkins by the front. Puck rolled his eyes.

"Hey. She could be an expert on all the hot spots in Kansas. Don't judge a book by its cover," Mercedes added, smirking and playing with her boyfriend's fingers as they dangled over her shoulder.

"If you guys are gonna be assholes, then don't talk," Puck said, sighing and throwing his head back over the seat. Mercedes chuckled and Sam smiled down at her. She kept playing with his long fingers and he kept staring at her, biting his lip and almost wanting to pinch himself. They had reasons not to be optimistic, but he couldn't help but think they could only go up from here.

Puck rolled his eyes again. The couple was annoyingly cute.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Agnes asked, walking up to their table smiling brightly despite the amount of teeth she had missing.

"We're good," Sam said, smiling back.

"Are you sure? We have banana pudding for dessert today!" the light blue haired waitress exclaimed.

"Really now?" Mercedes asked. Puck smiled at his friend and looked at Agnes.

"Why not? We'll take some," the mohawked teen said. "I'm paying anyway." Agnes smiled and headed back to the kitchen to get their orders. He looked back at Sam and Mercedes only to roll his eyes for the millionth time.

"Looks like you guys are already having dessert," he said, folding his arms as the two made out. He completely missed the transition from ordering banana pudding to sucking face. He knew he'd have to deal with feeling like the third wheel on this road trip, but he was still bothered by it. He added getting laid to the list of things he needed to do.

Mercedes pulled away and Sam pouted, leaning back in, but she laughed and put her hand up.

"Is it my turn yet?" Puck asked, smirking. Sam glared at him and Mercedes shook her head.

"Agnes! You gonna be at Bernie's tonight?" a man who looked to be in his late thirties asked from his booth.

"Yeah, you should come, I'm pulling out all the stops!" another man said, laughing. Agnes came from the back with a tray that held bowls of banana pudding on them with a big smile.

"Now when have I ever missed Karaoke Night?" she asked, passing their table and serving the three kids.

"Karaoke night?" Mercedes asked, looking up at her.

"Oh yes! Every Wednesday night at Bernie's! You just drive up the road and take a right and it's right there! You should come, we always love new meat," she told them.

"Is there alcohol?" Puck asked, a spoon of pudding in his mouth.

"Of course! Are you old enough…?" she asked.

"Oh, these two kids aren't. I am," he said, winking. She giggled and returned to the kitchen.

"I'm down," Mercedes said, sitting up. Sam sat up straight as well, nodding and digging into his pudding.

"Great, it's settled," Puck said, licking his spoon.

* * *

><p>When the three of them walked into Bernie's later that night, they hadn't been expecting the turnout. Karaoke Night in that small town in Kansas must have been one of the only things to look forward to. Before they could even find a place to sit, Puck was already at the bar flashing his fake ID and downing a shot of Whiskey.<p>

"He's starting early," Sam muttered, pulling out a chair for Mercedes to sit in. She sat and he settled in next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder and looking at the stage.

"He'll be drunk by ten," she said, shaking her head.

"I am not looking forward to carrying him back to the motel," the blond complained. She mock pouted and he leaned in to kiss her bottom lip.

They sat through several butchered country tunes peppered with the occasional Top 40 hit while Puck sat at the bar and got smashed.

"You think our kids can sing?" Sam asked.

"I'd love them if they couldn't," she said.

"Yeah, but I still wonder. It wouldn't really be fair. They're already so attractive," he mused. She laughed.

"I mean, look at _you_. Pretty rude, actually." He waved his hand and batted his eyelashes.

"Oh stop it." He looked at her and licked his lips. "You're pretty rude as well. Like, really really rude." She smirked and shrugged.

"Then I guess we'll just have to accept it if it passes on to our kids. If it's not singing, it'll be something else," she told him. He nodded.

"Damn our perfection." She grinned, but it faded when she suddenly felt a bright light on her.

"Looks like we got some newcomers tonight!" the large gentleman now occupying to stage yelled in their direction. Everyone clapped and hooted before he went on. "You all know what that means! Get on up here!"

Sam looked at his girlfriend and shrugged before pulling her up and walking over to the stage.

"That's the spirit!" the man said, handing them microphones and a song book. "I'd try my best, because you could win tonight!" The crowd applauded some more.

"Win? This is a competition?" Mercedes asked.

"It's always a competition! Keeps things interesting. And the winner gets five hundred smackers!" Sam's eyebrows went up and they both suddenly became more interested.

"KICK ASS!" they heard from the back. Mercedes squinted and saw that it was Puck, waving a glass in the air.

Puck lay on the twin bed in the motel with his arms around the plastic bin filled with money. He had a dopey grin on his face and Sam rolled his eyes, lying back on the other bed. Mercedes quickly changed into a t-shirt and sweats before exiting the bathroom and walking over to the bed her boyfriend was occupying.

"The bathroom's free if you wanna throw up again," she told Puck, sitting down.

"I'm good," he said, setting the money down between the beds and in front of the night stand. She got under the covers and Sam joined her putting his arm around her. "You guys sicken me."

Sam and Mercedes simply stared at him, bot unsure whether or not they should indulge him. He was obviously still drunk.

"We dated and you never did anything with me," he said, rolling onto his back.

"We weren't actually dating," Mercedes replied, shaking her head.

"Yeah we were." He pouted. "Who knew you were gonna get hotter, too?"

"Thanks?" she said.

"Don't encourage him," Sam muttered, tightening his grip on her.

Soon Puck was passed out on his side, but they were still awake. The lamp was off, but the moon was big and shining through the motel's window, making it easy for Sam to look down at Mercedes as she smiled up at him.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, tracing her lips with his thumb.

"This kind of reminds me of prom. With a smaller bed and Puck in the room," she said, kissing his finger. He leaned in and gave her a sweet peck, licking his lips and tasting remnants of her lip gloss.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. It was a good night. Quinn stood; Puck took Becky, Blaine without hair gel…" She stopped to laugh at the memory.

"Multiple orgasms in a hotel room," he added, brushing his nose against hers. She blushed and looked away.

"Yeah, and that. And they didn't even charge us full price since we didn't stay till morning."

"Must have been some sort of Prom Night special," he said. "They probably get a huge rush that time a year."

"I'd hate to be on the maid staff responsible for that," she mused. He chuckled.

"You know, Puck's asleep…" he said after a few moments of silence.

"No."

"What?"

"We're not doing the dirty with Puck in the room," she told him.

"Doing the dirty?" he repeated, grinning.

"You know what I mean. We are not having sex with him less than ten feet away."

"But wouldn't that make it fun?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Sam, I'm serious."

"I'm serious, too. Feel how serious I am," he said, taking her hand and placing it on his erection.

"Oh my God. Sam!" she whispered harshly, pulling her hand away. She tried not to smile, because if she did, it would count as an admission of defeat.

"We can be quiet," he said kissing her neck and pressing against her. She licked her lips and closed her eyes.

"This is freaky," she said, the smile coming through slightly.

"We already established that about me," he told her, pulling his lips away from her neck to look at her. "Just touch it."

"I can't believe you right now."

"You know you want to." She blew out a breath and shook her head, wishing she never admitted over the summer how much she loved the feel of it; soft and solid as a rock.

"Can you at least pretend to be about shit for one night?" she asked.

"Cedes…" he said, giving her a smile and that was somehow adorable and devious at the same time. "He's not waking up anytime soon…" he added before slipping his hand into her sweats to squeeze her ass. She cracked a small smile and he grinned, capturing her mouth with his and pressing against her again. They parted so they could quickly dispose of unnecessary clothing and he knocked her legs open only to pause and pull away.

"What?" she whined.

"Hold on," he said, hopping off of the bed and going over to his duffel bag. She watched him run over there completely naked and bright from the moonlight and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" he asked, pulling a gold packet out of the side pocket of the bag.

"Your ass is so pale…" she said, covering her mouth to stifle the laughter. He scoffed and ripped the packet open, tossing the wrapper and sliding the condom onto his length and getting back between her legs.

"Rude. You like my pale ass."

* * *

><p>They were dressed before Puck woke up the next morning, and the condom wrappers were in the trash under many napkins so he wouldn't notice them. Now they were all back on the road, continuing the journey to LA. Sam drove behind Puck's pick-up absently mouthing the words to a song on the radio while Mercedes flipped through a magazine she bought at back at the motel lobby.<p>

"I think I'll miss Kansas," she said out of the blue as they passed the sign welcoming them to Colorado, the "Centennial" state.

"Ah yes, and the great friends we made. Agnes and Bernie," he replied.

"They'll always have a place in our hearts."

He smiled and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers and kissing the back of it.

"Hey! I need that hand to hold the magazine while I turn the page," she said, fake-glaring at him.

"Sorry, it's my hand now. You'll have to use your lap." She shook her head and turned a page, shutting her legs to prevent the magazine from falling through them.

It was dark outside and they'd been on the road for about thirteen hours when they came up on Las Vegas. Puck finally pulled into a parking lot, and Sam followed him, stopping the engine and leaning back in the driver's seat. Mercedes had woken up when she saw the lights of the city and squeezed his hand.

"You should have let me take over at some point," she said, releasing a yawn.

"No, you were sleeping and so cute…" he said, smiling. There was a knock on the window and Sam turned his head to be met with Puck. He rolled the window down and looked at him expectantly.

"What do you guys wanna do? Keep truckin' to LA or hit up a club?" he asked. Sam sighed.

"Why isn't _sleep_ one of those options?"

"You tired, grandpa?" Puck asked, grinning.

"Yes! I've been driving for a whole day!" Sam exclaimed.

"I sometimes don't sleep for three days. I'm used to it. It's like I'm a party machine."

"I'm so happy for you, but if you don't mind, I'm gonna stay here, recline the seat and sleep," the blond said.

"You know how dangerous this place is, right?"

"Mercedes will protect me. And I'll leave the keys in the ignition if we need to make a quick getaway." Mercedes shook her head and squeezed Sam's hand.

"Go on, Puck. We'll be fine," she told him. He shrugged and walked back over to his car, driving off to find something or someone to do.

"It probably isn't a good idea to sleep in a parking lot in a dangerous city we know nothing about," Sam admitted after a few moments.

"Well I slept all day. Want me to just drive around while you sleep?" she asked. He smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning over and giving him a chaste kiss before unbuckling him. They switched places and she drove around like she said she would while he passed out within minutes.

By the time morning hit, Mercedes was leaning on the truck and putting gas into it after texting Puck their whereabouts so he could meet them right outside of the city. She finished and put the pump back in its place before getting back in the truck. Sam was awake and playing with the radio.

"Morning Sleepy Head," she greeted with a big smile.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Right outside of Vegas at a gas station," she answered.

"I figured out the gas station part," he said, smirking. She leaned against the headrest and tapped her hands on the wheel.

"I told Puck to meet us here." He nodded and she looked up the window, her eyes landing on the strip mall across the way. "Hey…"

"What?" he responded, looking up.

"There's a psychic over there," she said, starting the car.

"You can't be serious…"

"Why not?" she asked, driving across the street to find a parking space in front of it.

"Because these places are a total rip off?" he pointed out.

"It could be fun. And maybe she's legit. I mean, now we know it's possible for people to see the future…" He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Because I love you," he said before opening the door and hopping out. She grinned and got out as well, walking up to the door with him. As Sam expected, the place was empty. A woman came from behind a curtain and he fought with all his might not to laugh. She was in what looked like purple drapes from IKEA and a turban of some sort. Straight out of the movies.

"How may I help you?" she sing-songed.

"How much for a vision?" Mercedes asked cheerfully.

"Ah, you come to see your future with this handsome gentleman?" she asked, in an obviously fake English accent.

"Something like that," she replied.

"Twenty." Sam rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill, handing it over. The woman took it and stuffed it in her bra, waving them to the back with her. They followed her and sat in the folding chairs around a small table with, wait for it, a crystal ball in the center. The only thing that kept Sam from getting up and leaving was the smile on his beautiful girlfriend's face. At least she was entertained.

"So do we do anything?" she asked. The woman smiled and held out her hands on either side of the ball.

"We must hold hands for a strong connection." They all held hands around the table and the woman closed her eyes before she began.

"You two are lovers, correct?" she asked.

"Amazing," he said sarcastically. Mercedes cut her eyes at him and he sucked his lips in. The psychic didn't seem fazed by his dryness.

"On your way to Los Angeles," she continued. He raised an eyebrow. Lucky guess, he figured.

"We are!" Mercedes said. She nodded.

"Mmhmm…the spirits say there will be bumps in the road, but eventually you will hit your stride and begin reaping your good fortune."

"Good to know," Sam said. Mercedes licked her lips and kept listening.

"You will be married and have two children." Sam raised his eyebrows. Another lucky guess. "A boy and a girl, respectively." _Another _lucky guess. He looked at Mercedes whose eyes were wide as she nodded.

"You'll be happy…until…"

"Until what?" Mercedes asked, her eyes wide. Despite himself, Sam leaned in. She now had his full attention.

"Yeah, until what?" he repeated.

"Until a mutual friend from high school threatens your marriage," the woman told them, her eyes shut.

"Who would do that?" she asked. The woman tilted her head before going on.

"A pretty blonde. Green eyes, thin, an ex-cheerleader, currently going to an Ivy League college…"

Mercedes tensed and Sam stared intently at the woman. He wasn't sure how to respond. There was no way he'd go back to Quinn, even if they were friends now. He constantly told Mercedes she was the only one for him and it was the damn truth. Mercedes pulled her hand away from both of them.

"Thank you," she said, standing. The woman smiled.

"Please, tell your friends about me!" she called as Mercedes walked out with Sam behind her. They got outside and Puck was there, leaning on the front of his truck.

"Seriously guys? A psychic?" he asked. She ignored him and walked to Sam's truck, unlocking it.

"You don't really believe her, do you?" Sam asked, putting his hand on the hood and looking at her. She turned to him and he could see the hurt in her eyes.

"I don't want to, but how can I not! She described Quinn to a T! And she got everything else right!" she told him.

"She got lucky!"

"Nobody gets that lucky, Sam," she said, folding her arms. Puck simply watched the exchange with wide eyes, staying silent.

"Okay well, so what? I have no romantic feelings whatsoever for Quinn and you know that! She's our friend! That's it!" She closed her eyes and he could tell it was to stop herself from crying. He knew the psychic was a bad idea.

"You _really_ liked her, Sam. You wanted to marry her. The only reason you're with me…"

"Do _not_ go there, Mercedes!" he yelled. "You know how I feel about you! And you know I'd feel it regardless of whether or not I knew about our future together. You're my best friend and the girl I love! I shouldn't have to convince you, especially since I've put my heart on the line _more _than once to show you! You know why I liked Quinn so much. You know all about that!"

She sighed and looked down.

"Down the line…"

"I will _always_ be in love with you," he said, walking up to her and touching her shoulders. Puck was thoroughly confused and his hand was over his mouth as he watched the conversation unfold.

"I'll always be in love with _you_, but…"

"No buts. I'd be insane to ever let you go. I won't do it. Not again," he told her. "We're gonna get married and have our kids and be happy. I don't care what that woman said." She sighed and nodded, pulling away from him and getting into the passenger seat. He took the keys from her and shut the door, walking around to the driver's seat.

"Dude. What the fuck happened in there?" Puck asked, going around to get in his own truck.

"It's a long ridiculous story that I'd rather not get into," Sam responded before getting in and starting his engine.


	13. Chapter 13

**'Ello! Hope you like the update, it's quite fluffy. This chapter takes place five years after the last one, but it's easy to follow, as not that much has happened. Sorry for any mistakes I missed!**

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><p>Mercedes stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, wearing nothing but the lingerie set she bought on her way home from the café she worked at. She wasn't sure what made her do it; well, she was half-sure. She hadn't thought about the incident with the psychic in five years, but when Quinn called her to catch up during her lunch break that day (part of her plan to soul-search and reconnect with the important people in her life), she couldn't help but think back to it. The red flag was when Quinn admitted to calling Sam before Mercedes but only getting his voicemail. She calmed down a little when she told her about the guy she liked up in New England, but after the phone call, Mercedes was having an ugly day.<p>

So the lingerie was to try and lift her spirits, but it wasn't working. As she stared in the mirror, all she saw was huge boobs and excess stomach fat. She blew out a breath and turned to look at her butt only to feel disappointed again. Yeah, it was an ugly day.

"Whoa, hey there Sexy, is it my birthday?" She shook her head when she heard the deep voice with a slight Southern twang calling out from their bedroom door. He was behind her in seconds, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and biting his lip.

"Hi Sam," she greeted, looking at him through the mirror. He was looking back, but not at her eyes.

"_Fuck_ me," he murmured, his emerald eyes dancing over her figure. They were getting darker by the moment and even though she'd been with him for going on six years, she still blushed immensely when he looked at her like that.

"You buy this for me?" he asked, aware that this was a new set, for he'd committed every piece of underwear she owned to memory. "I mean either way, I benefit."

"I really turn you on?" she asked, tilting her head and looking at herself. He seemingly snapped out of his trance for a moment and looked into her eyes.

"Did you hit your head today?"

"No…I just…I don't know. I'm not feeling very sexy lately. I just feel like Jabba the Hut, honestly," she told him. He looked at her like she was insane.

"We're not looking at the same mirror…" he said, moving his hands so they settled on her ample hips. She sighed.

"Maybe it's living out here in Orange County. Everywhere I go, I see ads or these flawless girls walking their Chihuahuas…" She didn't mention feeling inferior to Quinn. Sam chuckled.

"The girls out here are hilarious," he said. "They make me feel really intelligent." She turned around and faced him, reaching up to touch his face.

"You _are_ intelligent," she told him, narrowing her eyes. He smiled.

"And you _are_ the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on," he replied in a whisper, his hands traveling to cup her ass. She dipped her head and blushed.

"I guess I'm just having an off day," she said. He scooped her up and walked over to the bed, tossing her down and removing his clothes in record time.

"Then I guess I'll have to fix that."

* * *

><p>"I think you two have broken a record," Puck said, leaning on the kitchen counter with a beer in hand. Sam had just emerged from the bedroom he shared with his girlfriend to find that his roommate was already home.<p>

"What?" the blond asked, opening the fridge to search for a snack.

"I got home…" Puck checked his watch. "Two hours ago, and immediately heard the bed creaking and you two…making noises. That was TWO hours ago. There were small breaks, but your guys_ just_ stopped ten minutes ago."

"Sorry…we thought you were going out tonight," Sam replied, closing the fridge to reveal his crimson cheeks.

"She must be a monster in bed. She sounds like one," the self-proclaimed badass said, taking another swig of beer. Sam suppressed a smirk and grabbed a box of Cheez-Its from the cabinet before cutting his eyes at his friend.

"That's for me to know and you to never, _ever_ find out." He kept his glare until Puck threw a hand up in surrender.

"I get it! It's amazing you don't trust me after we've lived together for so long. We're practically family!"

"It's because you say things like that," Sam pointed out, leaning against the fridge and stuffing his face.

"But don't I get to make comments like that since you guys insist on fucking each other's brains out while I'm in the apartment?" Puck asked.

"We thought you weren't home!"

"Please. You've done it when I was home."

"We thought you were asleep."

"Mercedes is a screamer. If I _was _asleep, you two woke me right up."

Sam was about to respond, but didn't when he saw his bedroom door open and Mercedes step out in a pair of leggings and a baseball tee that belonged to him. The cut of those shirts made her chest look fantastic, and Puck seemed to notice as well, earning a punch in the arm from the blond.

"Hey Puck, I didn't hear you come in," she said, walking up to Sam and dipping her hand in the box he held to get a handful of Cheez-Its.

"I bet you didn't," he replied, sipping his beer. Knowing what he meant, she blushed and bit her lip as Sam wrapped an arm around her.

"Well how was your day?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Pretty good. I got laid. In this insane mansion, too."

"Did you ever actually clean the pool?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I did that first. What kind of businessman do you think I am?"

"Was she un-married and legal?" Mercedes asked.

"Yes. She was the owner's hot_ twenty_ year old daughter." Puck answered, rolling his eyes. His friends were looking out for him, only asking to make sure he didn't end up in jail or at the end of an angry husband's shotgun.

"Okay, well congrats," the other guy said, popping more Cheez-Its into his mouth before feeding his girlfriend. Puck shook his head.

"To think I witnessed a day in history with you two." Mercedes raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she said, looking between the two men.

"Yeah, what?" Sam repeated.

"I was there when you were still a virgin trying to figure out what condoms to buy," he replied, smiling smugly.

"You invited Puck to pick out condoms?" she asked, looking to Sam.

"What? No! I ran into him at the store," he told her.

"Back when no one knew you were dating and you were both so innocent," Puck said, wiping away an imaginary tear and gaining eye rolls from both his roommates.

* * *

><p>Even though he bleached his hair in high school to convince girls he was a hot surfer, Sam never saw himself working in a surf shop. He still knew little about the sport, but the owner took one look at him and he was hired, being referred to as a "Blond Teen Dream' guaranteed to pull more customers. He had to go shirtless for the job, but he didn't care. It was better than being groped at by middle-aged women in a dark bar.<p>

"I say we go home," Derrick, his co-worker said, leaning on the counter next to the blond.

"In the middle of the day?" Sam inquired, raising his eyebrow.

"It's not like we're super busy," he muttered. He was also without a shirt, referred to by their boss as Delicious Chocolate. Teen girls were currently standing outside the entrance of the shop, their faces pressed against the glass as they ogled the two as they worked their shift.

"They could at least buy something," Sam mumbled, clicking a pen that was left on the counter.

"You'd think they'd have stuff to do." Sam was about to respond, but his open mouth was replaced with a grin when he saw Mercedes walk up on the sidewalk. She side-eyed the girls looking in and opened the door, the bell ringing as she entered with a smile on her face.

"Damn," Derrick mumbled, straightening. "I'll help her."

"No, I got it," Sam said, hopping over the counter and walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist after looking her up and down. The black pumps she had on made her legs look fantastic. "What are you all dressed up for?" he asked her.

"There's just a rumor that a record exec is coming to the café this afternoon. It's just a rumor and I don't wanna get my hopes up, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to dress up for my set," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're on your break right now?" She nodded and he leaned down to kiss her but was interrupted by Derrick loudly clearing his throat. He turned and looked at his co-worker who had his arms crossed and an intrigued look on his face.

"Oh. 'Cedes this is Derrick, Derrick, this is my girlfriend Mercedes," he introduced. She smiled at him and he winked, prompting Sam to roll his eyes.

"Wow, big lips," the dark skin guy said, obviously approving.

"Anyway, I go for lunch in like two minutes, so we can go pick up something down the street before you go back?"

"Sounds good," she replied, removing her arms and taking his hand. "You don't wanna put a shirt on?" He shrugged.

"We're by a beach. And I don't want to disappoint my fans," he told her. She laughed and looked at the front window to realize she was being glared at by teen girls. If looks could kill, she'd be long gone.

"Let's go, Crazy," she said, pulling him out of the store.

When they made it down the street, they settled on hot dogs from a cart and sat on a bench overlooking the water. They were silent for several minutes, occasionally exchanging small kisses and smiles as she leaned on his shoulder with his arm around her.

"I hope an exec does show up. He'd sign you in a second," he told her after a while.

"I'm trying not to get my hopes up. If comes, great. If he doesn't, oh well. I make pretty good money as it is," she responded.

"Yeah, but we didn't come to LA and piss off both our families for _pretty good_."

"True…" she said with a faint smile. "But at least we have a roof over our heads. And if he does come, then you best believe I'm bringing my A-game." He grinned and kissed her forehead.

"Speaking of which, I have to call Stevie back," he mentioned.

"Me too."

"What do you mean you too? He called you?"

"Yep. Said he wanted to catch up," she said, suppressing a giggle.

"That little con artist. He's using me to get to you, you know," he told her. She laughed loudly and got a few looks from passersby.

"I doubt it. How's Stacey?"

"Still as innocent as ever, thank God. You never know, especially being out here seeing these twelve year olds with their hair dyed and ten pounds of make-up and bronzer on. It's nice to know she's in her right mind," he said. She nodded.

"Speaking of family stuff, my parents want us home for Thanksgiving. It's a while away, but they called to 'put it in the universe'. They want your family there too and they want to fly us back for a week. Even Puck."

"That'll be interesting," he mumbled, subconsciously tightening his arm around her.

Back when they first moved to LA, without telling either of their families, naturally there was some backlash. Papa Jones nearly had a heart attack when they finally phoned them after getting settled. They'd been ignoring their parents' calls over the whole trip to California, even though it killed them to lie like they did. However, even though they were angry with Sam and Mercedes, the Jones's still cared about their well-being and wired them money on a regular basis. They were angry with their daughter, but they wanted to make sure he was safe.

The Evans weren't quite as livid upon first hearing of Sam's whereabouts. They cursed him out for not telling them where he was of if he was okay, but once they found out he was, they were calm. Sam had already transferred schools in the middle of the year to go be with this girl, so the idea of him following her to Los Angeles wasn't too far off. He kept them updated through phone and Skype, letting them know he and his girlfriend were eating, had jobs, and were getting along fine.

It had been five years since they'd all seen each other face to face, but the tension died down since they were sustaining themselves. Sam still thought Thanksgiving dinner was a big opportunity for disaster though.

"I guess I should tell you Quinn called me," he said out of the blue. He felt her tense a little.

"Yeah, I know. She called me after saying she wanted to catch up with the important people in her life."

"Yeah…honestly I didn't know I was that important to her." He looked out at the water and she sighed.

"How does that make you feel?" she asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine I guess. But that's it. I didn't even answer the call because I was working."

"What if she calls again?"

"I _might _answer it," he said. "If I'm not busy with my job or the woman I love." She smiled and sighed, leaning back on him.

"Sorry."

"I know you still think about what that psychic bitch said."

"Sam!"

"What? She was a bitch! She messed us up for a whole month. You wouldn't sleep with me for a _whole_ month because of her. And you know what I think?" he asked. She shook her head.

"What do you think?"

"I think okay, maybe she was really psychic," he told her.

"Go on…" she replied, raising her eyebrow.

"Maybe she was, and she was able to see people that we knew. I buy that. But in order to make more money, she says ominous shit like 'this person's gonna cause trouble in your marriage' so people will be all sad, asking her to tell them more. So I think maybe she was half legit and the rest was bullshit."

"Interesting theory," she said.

"Because really, every day I spend with you, the more I know how bad I wanna spend my life with you. So to throw it away would be really dumb. I'm not a genius, but I'm not a glutton for pain either," he finished. She was beaming up at him and she didn't even realize it.

"You're something else."

* * *

><p>Sam came home that evening and was almost tackled to the ground by Mercedes in an intense hug. He laughed and hugged back even though he was thoroughly confused. When she pulled away, she bounced and clasped her hands together.<p>

"What's going on?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows and closing the door of the apartment.

"The record exec came! And I know I said I didn't want to get my hopes up, but he approached me after my set and asked for my contact information. He's from LaFace, Sam! It was the real deal! He said he'll contact me within the week and I keep telling myself to calm down but I MIGHT GET SIGNED!" she squealed.

Sam just stood there with his mouth open, completely overwhelmed by the news. He had no idea what to say, so he did the next best thing, scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around before crashing his lips to hers excitedly. They parted for air and he set her down, still grinning as he brushed hair out of her face.

"You're _going_ to get signed," he told her.

"It's not final…" she said, unable to stop smiling.

"It might as well be. You're a star, baby. And soon everyone's gonna know and Mr. Shue will have to wallow in his tears of mediocrity as he weeps over never giving you a competition solo," he told her. Her jaw dropped, surprised by that statement for several reasons before she broke out into a giggle.

"You think so?" she asked. He laughed and nodded, leaning in to kiss her again. She cupped his chin and pulled away, looking into his eyes. "I don't want to celebrate yet."

"No?"

"No, we'll celebrate if I get the call."

"Fine. We'll celebrate _when _you get the call."

Puck came home hours later covered in paint splotches and smelling like smoke. He also had two gallons of grape juice on hand. Mercedes and Sam stared at him from their spot on the couch in front of their small TV. They'd been watching Seinfeld before he came in and Sam was drawing on her jeans with a Sharpie as her thighs went across his lap.

"Do we even _want _to know?" she asked Puck, leaning on Sam's shoulder.

"Probably not. Good news though; I got some dudes to work for me. Business is going insane lately. Chicks love topless guys cleaning their pools and I'm top notch."

"That's awesome man," Sam said with a genuine smile. "Mercedes met a record executive today and she might get signed."

Puck's eyes bulged and he looked up at them with a grin.

"No fucking way! We have to go out and celebrate tomorrow night!" he said.

"Well…she doesn't want to celebrate until they call. And we have plans tomorrow."

"It's Saturday," the pool cleaner said, looking confused.

"It's also kind of our anniversary," Mercedes replied, absently tangling her fingers in Sam's hair. "Actually we were wondering…"

"If I could go out tomorrow night," Puck finished with a shrug. "I had plans anyway. Go crazy."

"Love you!" she called. He smiled and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey…" Sam whined, poking his bottom lip out at her.

"Please, you know how much I love you," she said, grinning before kissing his poked out lip. He leaned in and returned it, tossing the Sharpie on the table so he could squeeze her thigh. He slipped his tongue in and she put her hand on his neck, tilting her head for a deeper angle.

"Still here…" Puck mumbled, opening one of the grape juice containers and taking a swig. The couple didn't seem to hear him until he plopped next to them on the couch, startling them away from each other's lips. She smiled at her boyfriend and wiped lip gloss off of his lip with her thumb. She then got up, saying she had to pee and headed for the bathroom.

"So…" Sam began when it was just he and Puck on the couch.

"So?"

"I think I'm gonna do it tomorrow," he said. Puck turned down the volume on the TV.

"Do what?"

"Pop the question?" Sam bit his lip and gaged a response from his friend as his palms grew sweaty.

"Whoa, seriously?" Puck turned toward him with his mouth open slightly.

"Yeah, seriously. I bought a ring yesterday."

"But…"

"I know it's early," Sam said, cutting him off. "But we've been together for years and I wanna make her my wife. I mean, right now we don't have the means for a big wedding and a place of our own, but I want to remind her how serious I am about us."

"Well…" he said, scratching his mohawk. "You have my blessing."

"Awesome. I think she'll love the ring. It's her birthstone," the blond said with a smug smile, staring at the television.

The next evening, Sam was a wreck. He wasn't sure why, but he was and the ring was burning a hole in his jeans pocket. She didn't want to celebrate their anniversary with a fancy dinner, so he took her to the beach. It was the middle of the weekend and all the vendors were out as well as people and their families to see the random acts such as fire-eaters and a man and his monkey. Her hand was linked with his as they walked down the dock and onto the beach itself. She took her shoes off and carried them in one hand as he did the same.

"I really love it here," she said, looking out at the water. They were close to it and the small foamy waves crawled up the sand and hit their feet, making her smile more.

"It's definitely not Lima," he replied, squeezing her hand. He held a towel under his other arm and they stopped soon to sit down on it. He laid it out and got down, spreading his legs for her to get between them and she did, sinking into him while he wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you still dream about our kids?" he asked. He felt her sigh against him.

"Of course I do. I still remember their faces, even." He laughed and nodded.

"Me too. Sometimes I just wanna fast forward to all that, where I have you and my kids and a house and everything is just…perfect," he told her.

"Nothing's ever perfect," she said.

"Once I have you three, it won't matter. All the imperfections will be perfect too because we have each other."

"How touching," she replied, grinning up at him. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and smirked.

"I'm a touching person. I say touching things, I like touching…" he said, letting his hand wander around her body. She laughed because he hit a ticklish spot and he beamed down at her, her laugh still having the same effect on him as it did at the Lima Bean when he first asked her to hang out. He'd still jump off cliffs to hear it.

Soon they were back on their feet, checking out more vendors and even stopping in a photo booth because Sam vowed they would have photos of themselves for every anniversary since they did so far in prom photos.

"Ready to go home?" she asked, when a breeze picked up. He looked down at her and the carnival games on the pier behind her illuminated her face so she seemed like she was glowing. It didn't help his nerves.

"Not yet," he responded, taking her hands. Her eyebrows went up at his sudden serious demeanor, but she kept quiet because he looked like he wanted to continue. "We've been together six years." She laughed.

"Yes, I'm aware. And I haven't killed you yet."

"That's a pretty long time, right?" he asked. She smiled and shook her head at him.

"It's a really long time," she replied.

"Right, and I don't feel the same way about you as I did when you graduated high school," he told her. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion as he went on. "I thought I was crazy about you then and the feeling couldn't get any more intense, but surprise, it did."

She visibly relaxed and then blushed; glad he couldn't tell behind her skin tone and the dim carnival lights. He hooked his finger under her chin so she could look at him and smiled down at her.

"I've been thinking about what to say to you all night and by now I still haven't come up with the right words to explain to you how much you mean to me, Mercedes. I wish I was smarter and I could have written you a deep poem or something…" He stopped when she gave him a look and smile. "See? You do things like that. Like if I ever say something negative about myself you remind me how great you think I am and make me feel like I don't need to be anything more than just me for you. No one other than my family has ever made me feel that way. Ever. It was at a point where I was pretty sure no one would ever love me for just…me, and I was trying to accept that but then you screwed it all up.

"We've been together so long now, and I still wake up in the morning to see you lying next to me and I can't believe how lucky I am, especially when you open your eyes and smile at me. Or scowl, depending on the time of month." She laughed. "But the point is, just seeing your face reminds me of how happy I am to have found someone so…awesome. When that guy showed me the future and I saw you, there was no way I could have predicted how strongly I'd feel about you. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way about _anyone_. It's like full on romance novel stuff in my head, 'Cedes. I wanna spend my whole life with you. And I know you might think it's too soon or we're not ready, but I know we are deep down."

"Ready for…" Hey eyes widened in realization before she finished the question and he blushed, looking around before getting on one knee, fishing the ring box out of his pocket and opening it. He wasn't sure whether or not he would when he was planning in his head, but he wanted to do this right, and he figured this was a huge part of it. People walking by had stopped in their tracks. Little kids pointed and aspiring photographers snapped shots of them, worsening Sam's nerves. If she told him no; that he was jumping the gun again, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take it well right away.

"I want you to know that there is no one else for me. You've spoiled me and now every other girl pales in comparison and you're the only one I want to be with until I die. So…marry me?" He bit his lip, cursing himself on the inside and thinking he could have asked in a smoother fashion.

Mercedes' hands were covering her mouth and she could feel the eyes of a growing crowd on her. Sam was on one knee, his green eyes twinkling as he waited her for answer, but she was frozen. She wanted to pause this moment and stay like this, even as a few tears spilled over. The feeling was indescribable.

"Yes," she whispered finally, through her hands. Sam stood to his feet and leaned in, and she swore she felt the crowd lean in as well.

"What'd you say?" Sam could have sworn she said yes, but he couldn't be sure. She broke, pulling him forward by his shirt collar and kissing him passionately, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her waist and melted into her embrace, chasing the kiss when they parted with small pecks, each lingering as he stared into her eyes.

"So yes?" he asked.

"Yes," she confirmed, wiping a tear away. There were some whispers within the crowd; things like 'She said yes?' 'Well they kissed, so…' 'I think she said yes!'

Sam pulled away from her to slip the ring on her finger, and it was then the people erupted in applause, hoots and hollers, making Sam grin and blush more than he already was. She kissed him again and pulled him down to press her forehead against his.

"Like Christmas morning?" she asked. He pulled her close as humanly possible and nodded.

"Like Christmas morning."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm gonna go to bed now. Sorry for any mistakes I missed.**

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><p>Sam's hands were shaking and not even Mercedes taking them in her own and squeezing them helped. He swallowed a few times and kept staring down the road. They were waiting outside the terminal with Puck for Mercedes's parents to come pick them up. None of them had seen the Jones' since they ran away to California.<p>

Mercedes was on edge for a different reason, however. She'd spoken to her parents. She knew the reunion would be bittersweet and possibly tense, but all she could think about was the fact that the record company hadn't called her even though they asked for her contact information in June. It was November; thanksgiving time and she hadn't received so much as a rejection email.

"Your dad's never been a violent person, right?" Sam asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Sam, calm down," she cooed, rubbing his arm.

"I can't calm down. He probably hates me after all that's happened, especially because I lied to his face days before we left. And now he's gonna find out we're engaged…" His breathing quickened and he squeezed her hand tighter. "Let's just get it over with."

"On the bright side, we get to see Stevie and Stacey," she said. The holiday was truly going to be a family affair, considering the Evans were coming up Thanksgiving morning. Everyone was going to be there, facing the couple for the first time in five years.

"Yeah, _they're _not likely to kill us," he breathed out.

She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath when she saw a black SUV pull up. The first one out of the car was her mother, who smiled and made a beeline for Mercedes and Sam, wrapping them both up in her arms for a tight hug.

"You're alive…" she murmured, kissing them both on the cheek.

"Yeah, we're alive Mama," Mercedes replied, returning the hug. The older woman pulled away and touched their faces, her eyes a bit glazed over before turning to Puck and moving to give him a hug and ask him how his time in LA had been.

Mr. Jones had exited the car now and was making his way to his daughter. His face started off as stony and serious, but the man wasn't able to hold a smile back at the sight of his daughter.

"Alright baby girl, bring it in," he said, opening his arms. Mercedes grinned and closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around the tall man's waist and taking in the scent of the same cologne she'd been accustomed to smelling throughout her entire childhood. It was calming and she knew right then that no matter what they disagreed on, he was still her daddy.

When they parted, Mr. Jones looked at Sam, causing the blond to shift his weight and rub his clammy hands on his jeans. They stared at each other for several moments before the man took a deep breath and slapped his hand onto Sam's shoulder.

"Sam."

"Mr. Jones."

"It's good to see you, son."

Mercedes watched the exchange and smiled, able to pick up on the fact that the words they just shared had served as a deep conversation full of apologies, forgiveness, and acceptance.

The ride back wasn't nearly as awkward as the three kids thought it would be. Her parents were asking them a ton of questions, seeming genuinely interested in how their lives had been going. Puck asked about his mom and told them about his decision to spend the holiday with her and his sister. He planned on helping them out with money as well. When Sam brought up Mercedes's performance in front of the record executive, the Joneses erupted in excitement; especially her father. She was pursuing a career he didn't approve of, but in his mind, if she was going to do it she needed to be successful at it. The news brought hope to him and his wife.

"This is so exciting!" her mother exclaimed, looking back at them.

"Yeah…" Mercedes replied, looking out the window. They were all so into the new information that they'd failed to notice her lack of enthusiasm. She was kind surprised at how they all seemed to be so confident in her success even though she could very well be stuck lounge-singing her entire life.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Mercedes finished undressing and had gotten in her bed while Sam was still up, walking around her bedroom and touching things, staring at posters and photographs on her walls.<p>

"Huh?" he responded, snapping out whatever haze he was in and looking at her.

"What are you doing?" she repeated with an amused expression.

"Oh. Nothing. Just looking around…it's been a really long time since I've been in here," he told her.

"Yeah. It looks exactly the same."

Sam nodded in agreement and looked around again, thinking back to when they were just friends, watching movies on her bed even when he knew he would end up with her. He remembered her smiling at him and the feeling of wanting to kiss her when he couldn't. He thought about the summer that changed things between them; the fights (big and small), the sneaking around, taking Stevie and Stacey to the lake, the decision to make love and the many times they did it afterward. He remembered how much he missed being in this room when he had to leave her and how they foolishly thought it was the end for them.

The room held a stifling amount of memories; good and bad. He looked at her as she lay on the bed staring at him, wearing the ring her parents had failed to notice and took a moment to think about all they had to go through to be together like they were in that moment. When he was offered the glimpse into his obviously love-filled future he had no idea he'd have to face the huge roadblocks so far. But he was so happy now, and he thought they were finished with obstacles.

"Sam," Mercedes whined. "Come to bed already."

He smiled and nodded before pulling off his shirt and tossing it aside. He undid his jeans and pushed them down, kicking them to where his shirt landed and crawling into the bed next to her.

"So your parents were really excited about the record exec," he said cheerfully once they were wrapped up in each other and she was laying on his chest.

"I wish you hadn't told them about that," she murmured.

"What? Why?"

"Because it's probably not gonna happen." She sighed and he furrowed his eyebrows, moving up against the headboard, causing her to sit up as well to look at him.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. "Of course it's going to happen."

"That was _months_ ago, Sam. They probably forgot about me."

"That's impossible. No one forgets about you," he told her, completely serious. "Look, 'Cedes. Don't let the fact they're taking a long time kill your confidence. You have nothing to worry about." She looked at him and bit her lip.

"You're_ so_ sure," she said, cracking a smile. He pulled her back close to him and she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"You should be too. These companies are so busy. But they'll call," he replied, kissing her forehead. "They'll call."

The next couple days were relatively calm. Mercedes stopped wearing the ring around her parents because they both decided to tell them about the engagement when the big dinner came.

The evening before Thanksgiving after helping her mother prepare some things in advance, Mercedes went up to her room. Sam had been watching the game with her father and she figured he'd be up soon so she could go to bed. It was cheesy when people said they couldn't fall asleep without the one they love next to them, but this was actually the case. She'd gotten used to his body near or pressed against hers, so she was spoiled.

She changed into a nightshirt and tied her hair up, walking over to her bed to pull the covers back. When she got in, she heard vibrating nearby and noticed both of their phones on her nightstand. It was Sam's ringing. She could see the text on the screen without touching it and when she saw the name and message, her insides twisted. She hated that feeling, but lately anything that had to do with Quinn made it return. She also hated that Quinn, someone she considered to be a close friend, was making her uneasy about her own relationship.

_Hey Sam! I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at the Lima Bean on Black Friday at like 2? I want to catch up!_

Why did she want to catch up with Sam and not Mercedes? She didn't get a text. The whole thing seemed shady as hell. Right then, as if sensing trouble, Sam walked through the bedroom door.

"Hey, how come you didn't tell me you were going to bed?" he asked, shutting it behind him and going to change his clothes.

"I uh, I figured you'd be up soon," she replied, biting her lip and trying not to let her panic show. He quickly stripped down to his boxers and put his clothes away before getting in next to her. She closed her eyes when she felt him pull her nightshirt down and kiss her shoulder. She turned to look at him and he smiled before kissing her lips.

"You're not tired, are you?" he asked, slipping his hand under the cover.

"Quinn texted you," she said abruptly. She knew that once his fingers made it to where they were headed, there would be no way to get to the subject because he'd have her and all talking would cease.

"I knew you seemed tense," he said after a few moments. She handed him his phone and he raised an eyebrow before unlocking it and looking at the text. He sighed and looked back at her, opening his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

"You should go."

"To get coffee with Quinn? Why?" he asked, looking utterly baffled.

"She's your friend."

"She's your friend too, so come with me," he told her.

"She obviously just wants to see you. And I'm okay with that. I trust you. Might as well talk to her about whatever she wants to talk about."

Sam stared at her for a few moments longer before sighing and texting Quinn back, saying that 2 would be fine for him.

* * *

><p>Stacey was getting way too old to spend every minute on her brother's back, but she didn't care. Sam didn't either, running through the Jones house with his twelve year old sister laughing and gripping his shoulders tighter.<p>

Mr. Evans and Jones were settled in the family room watching television while Mercedes helped put the finishing touches on dinner with her mother and Mrs. Evans. Stevie was in there as well for reasons the women couldn't fathom.

Once the food was ready, all it took was the smell to draw the rest of the clan into the dining room. The chatter only died down so Mr. Jones could say grace, but as soon as he finished, it was back up again.

Sam and Mercedes kept stealing glances across the table, both trying to figure out when would be the best time to reveal that they were engaged.

"Look at us just babbling on!" Mary Evans exclaimed suddenly. "You two need to tell us more about California! I'm so proud of you two for staying afloat out there."

Sam looked at his fiancé with an expression that said '_Now's as good a time as any._' She responded with a half-smile before addressing his mom.

"Well it's beautiful for one thing. The sunsets on the beach are just…amazing," she said.

"I'll bet. I'm sure it's quite the romantic area," Mr. Evans said, grinning.

"You have no idea. We go there all the time. That's even where Sam proposed."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans' eyes went wide, Mr. Jones nearly choked on his drink and Mrs. Jones dropped her fork so it clanged loudly on her plate and dropped to the floor. Stevie's jaw dropped and Stacey was covering her mouth with her palm, looking like she'd burst into rainbows any second. Sam was just as surprised but at her delivery, staring at Mercedes who was now drinking her glass of water and avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Rewind?" Mrs. Jones said calmly.

"They're getting married!" Stacey blurted out. Sam brought his palm to his face.

"Son?" his father probed.

"I proposed to Mercedes on the beach?" he said, giving an awkward smile.

"These kids are trying to kill me," Mr. Jones said, downing the rest of his drink. Mercedes took the ring out of her dress pocket and put it on.

"Well that is just lovely," Mrs. Evans said, taking Mercedes' hand to examine it.

"I want to see!" her mother exclaimed, leaning over.

"Me too!" Stacey yelled, getting up and going around the table to stand over the three women and admire the ring.

"Are you ready for this step?" Dwight asked his son, tearing his attention away from the cluster of estrogen nearby.

"I am. I know I am. We're not rushing to do it, but we're making the commitment," he replied, stealing a glance at Mr. Jones, whose expression seemed to soften.

"Well I guess y'all are grown. You do what you want," he said, shaking his head and eating his food. Sam grinned, knowing at the moment that was the closest to a blessing he'd get.

* * *

><p>Quinn was early.<p>

He spotted her in the corner of the Lima Bean when he walked in and headed straight towards her, opting not to buy coffee so he could get this over with and go have sex with his fiancé and tell her not to worry.

"Sam!" she said cheerfully, standing and hugging him. He smiled and hugged back before sitting across from her and taking off his jacket. She sat as well, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her coffee. "So how have you been?"

"Great. I'm engaged," he said, grinning. She coughed and stared at him for a few moments before responding.

"To who?" When she asked that, Sam got up and left.

Or that's what he wanted to do. What the hell did she mean _to who_?

"Mercedes…" he told her. She gripped the cup in her hand tighter and he noticed.

"Wow! That's something!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah…we're heading back to LA tomorrow night."

"Really? Well, I was going to tell you I'm moving out there in a few weeks," she said. His eyes widened and he shifted in his seat.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I have my degree and I'm ready to apply it! I have a ton of auditions lined up. I was going to ask if I could stay with you guys for a bit until I get on my feet."

Sam stared at the blonde, realizing he'd been put in a terribly hard position. To Quinn it probably seemed simple because she was their friend, but she didn't know about cheeky psychics in Vegas or bogus-maybe-not-so-bogus predictions involving a crystal ball.

"I'll have to ask Mercedes and Puck," he replied finally. She waved her hand and smiled.

"They'll probably be fine with it. Have you had fun out there so far?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, it's amazing." He continued on to tell her about his job, Mercedes's singing, the beach, their nice neighbors and other things he could think of that mattered. She smiled and listened, laughing at some points.

"I missed you Sam," she said suddenly. He bit his lip and balled his fist on the table, praying that this wasn't going to get awkward.

"Missed you too," he responded, attempted to sound cheerful and light-hearted. He almost called her buddy.

"Sometimes I wish I was in a different place when we dated in high school, you know? All that mess with Finn and being prom queen…I just wanted my life back. You were the perfect boyfriend and I really wish I had the chance to experience it. And even though we haven't spoken in so long, I still consider you to be one of my best friends."

"Well thanks, Quinn," he said, clearing his throat when his words came out hoarse.

"Seriously," she pushed. "I trust you and I'm really glad you came to see me." She reached out and touched his hand, squeezing it and smiling at him.

"You should know you can trust me…" he told her honestly.

"Right. And I want you to know that I think what you have with Mercedes is…great." That was a red flag for Sam.

"Why didn't you invite her for coffee?" he asked. She sighed and looked out the window, sipping from her cup.

"I'm still trying to accept some things and I'm not ready to see her."


	15. Chapter 15

"Yes."

"What? Mercedes, are you sick?" They had returned to their apartment and Sam had spent days trying to figure out how he was going to tell her that Quinn wanted to live with them for a while. When he finally did, Puck didn't mind, but she just shrugged and approved it. He'd been agonizing over this and she simply said yes like it was no big deal.

"I'm not sick," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You want Quinn to live here? With us?"

"Yes!"

"Mercedes…forgive me if I'm a little lost here. It's just…I thought she made you uncomfortable since we talked to that…psychic. Now you're okay with her sleeping on the couch bed."

She sighed and turned off the television so she could focus on him. He was standing with his hands on his hips and Puck, who was eating cereal at the kitchen table almost laughed at the scene, considering Sam looked just like Mercedes when she was irritated.

"That's why I'm okay with her living here."

"I don't follow," he said.

"You know how people say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Well Quinn's not even my enemy. I consider her my friend, regardless of her seemingly shady intentions. For all we know, she may not even be interested in you again. But if she is, I'd prefer to have her scheming right under my nose," she explained.

"Well…I guess that does make sense. If we all live in the same place, she's less likely to try something. Even if she did I could tell you right away…"

"Exactly. Call her. Tell her she can move in," Mercedes finished, turning the television back on. Sam looked at Puck, who shrugged his shoulders and went to clean his bowl out.

Sam went to their bedroom to get his phone, muttering to himself '_Why do I have to call her?_' before searching for her name in his contacts. When he came across it, he tapped it and put the phone to his ear to wait.

"Sam!" she said as a greeting.

"Hey Quinn, how are you?" he asked, falling back onto the bed so he was staring at the ceiling.

"I'm great! Are you calling with good news, Sammy?" He ignored her use of that nickname and went on.

"I am. Mercedes and Puck said you could stay here for a while," he told her.

"Excellent! Because I was thinking of coming this weekend. I know it's earlier than I said, but I'm so excited to explore LA and you guys said yes so why not?"

"Oh…well I guess that's okay."

"Don't sound too excited Sam, you'll hurt yourself," she said sarcastically.

"No! I'm uh, excited, it was just a long day at work cleaning surfboards and being ogled by teen shoppers."

"Can you blame them? You've still got it, that's for sure."

"Heh, yeah." He didn't think right now would be a good time to condone flirting as innocent as it may or may not have been.

"Anyway, thanks again for okaying this," she continued.

"Quinn, can I ask you a question?" he asked, sitting back up.

"Anything."

"When we talked before, and you said you had to deal with some things or whatever before you talked to Mercedes…did you? Deal with them I mean."

"I said I was still _accepting_ some things," she corrected, speaking slowly as if he was treading into dark territory.

"Right…did you accept those things? Cause you're gonna have to face her when you're living here," he said, laughing in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Clearly," she replied. He could hear the coldness in her voice, like he was asking about something that was none of his business. But he didn't feel that way. If she had an issue with his fiancé, he wanted to know what it was. Especially because he hadn't even told Mercedes what she said.

"I'm sorry if you're bothered by my asking, but I've been thinking about that since I saw you, that's all. It was really um…vague."

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you end up with Mercedes, if you don't mind _me_ asking. It's just…your relationship seemed to come out of nowhere in high school," she said.

"Well it didn't." Now _he _was annoyed. "She was my best friend for a while, and she was really there for me when I was living in the motel."

"Well so was I. I helped babysit and prayed with you guys every Sunday. You didn't randomly fall in love with _me_."

"Yeah, Quinn, well you kind of shot that horse in the face when you cheated on me." She was silent for a few moments after that. Sam knew deep down that even if she hadn't cheated he wouldn't have fallen for her because of his knowledge of the future. But any possibility of him falling for her went out the window because of her decisions. If he hadn't seen what he saw and she hadn't cheated, he would have tried to convince himself he loved her until it fell apart on its own. Contrary to what she most likely thought, he was almost grateful for her infidelity.

"So you still think about that?" she asked quietly. He sighed and held the bridge of his nose.

"No, Quinn. I don't. Though it really seems like you do."

"Because I regret it! I went through a lot while I was at Yale. I even went to therapy. And it really had me thinking about all the wrong I'd done to the important people in my life. You're one of those people. I hate that I hurt you," she told him.

"Honestly? I wasn't that hurt by it."

"Why are you with Mercedes?" she asked after a long pause, returning to the original subject.

"Do you want a list? Because we'll be here all night." He heard her sigh heavily over the line.

"You guys never talked more than the others in glee club. You don't have much in common. I was a lot closer to her than you were, and all of a sudden you were together? It doesn't make a lot of sense."

"We have a lot in common actually. And we talked a lot outside of school. I was over her house almost every day after a while. Talking turned to kissing and so on. It's not really rocket science, Quinn."

"Look, I'm just asking because after all this time, I realized I never really got you two. You think I would since we dated and I knew Mercedes better than anyone. But there were no signs," she said. He ran the palm of his hand over the bit of stubble he had and groaned.

"How is it you know her better than anyone? From the day I got to McKinley, you didn't seem to care that much about her."

"We have a history."

"Why should that matter to me? I love her, she loves me, and we're engaged. That's it. I'm sorry if it…confuses you somehow, but it's not changing."

"Fine. Just…just know that I really care about you Sam," she told him. "I don't want to argue with you. I've just been coming to terms with some things about myself and you're a big part of…me accepting who I am."

He was utterly confused now. He pulled the phone away and looked at it as if the answer would be written on the screen before putting it back to his ear and sighing. He didn't know what she was talking about and she kept saying vague things about how she'd changed.

"Um…well Quinn…if you still have feelings for me…" It even sounded weird saying it. They dated for what now seemed like five minutes in high school and they did stay friends, but the idea of her wanting to be with him all these years later made little sense to him.

"I have to go, Sam. Tell the others I said thank you." With that, she hung up.

* * *

><p>"You're really getting good at this," Sam mumbled into the bed comforter. Mercedes grinned and continued working her knuckles into his back and shoulders as she straddled his hips. He'd been tense since his conversation the other day and oddly, Mercedes managed to stay calm. It was as if the tables had been turned. <em>He<em> was freaking out and_ she_ was using her hands to calm him.

"Why thank you," she replied with a small laugh. "What did Quinn say the other day when you told her she could stay here?"

He shifted, prompting her to get off of him so he could turn over. When he did, he pulled her down on top of him and sighed.

"Let's not talk about that," he said. She nodded against his chest and laced her fingers with his.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Maybe…" he trailed off when he heard her cell phone ringing. She got up and went to grab it off of the nightstand. He heard her gasp and raised an eyebrow, sitting up to watch her.

"Hello? Yes, this is she…"

Sam watched Mercedes pace around their bedroom saying things like 'yes', 'okay' and 'that works great for me' into the phone, her smile getting wider and wider.

"Monday it is then! Right. Okay, see you then." She hung up and put the phone down before turning to face where he sat on the bed. She was shaking and he thought she was going to explode before she squealed and tackled him onto the pillows.

"Woah, what's going on?"

"I GOT SIGNED! THEY WANNA MEET WITH ME TO GO OVER CONTRACTS ON MONDAY!" she screamed. It took him a moment to process the information and when he realized what she'd said to him, his hands shook and he looked at her with his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

"OH MY GOD!" he yelled. She squealed and he flipped them over, dipping down to kiss her. "What did I tell you! You just had to be patient!" He kissed her again, but didn't pull away as quickly, instead letting his hands travel up her shirt and exploring her mouth with his tongue.

"What the hell is going on in—Ah fuck, will you two get off of each other and tell me what all the yelling is about?" Puck was now in the room shielding his eyes with his forearms.

"SHE GOT A RECORD DEAL!" Sam yelled, pulling off of Mercedes and going over to scoop his friend up in a hug. Puck soon found himself in a group hug with his roommates with his mouth still hanging open from the news.

"Holy shit! We have to celebrate! Come on, we _have_ to!" he exclaimed, hugging Mercedes tighter. Sam looked at them before breaking out in a grin again.

"You're right. We have to."

* * *

><p>Quinn had been standing outside of the apartment building for what felt like an hour now. It had probably been ten minutes, but the lively neighborhood around her seemed to move in slow motion. This was it. She was in LA, determined to make all the auditions she'd set up and live her dream.<p>

She knew it was likely to be awkward when she went in, which was why she was stalling. She and Puck had decided to be good friends a long time ago, so she wasn't so worried about him. Her last phone call with Sam had been less than pleasant, which unfortunately set her two steps back from the one step forward she thought she took. All she wanted to do was let him know how important he was to her and it backfired when she asked him point blank why he was with Mercedes. She knew that while she was here she was going to have to spend more time with him, showing him how she would never intentionally hurt him and that if anything were to happen between her and Mercedes, it was fate; not an impulsive need to break his heart.

She felt awful because of the fact that whenever she was dealing with her shit storm of emotions, Sam always ended up in the middle of the mess.

_"Quinn, have you ever stopped to think that maybe your relationship problems aren't about the men you chose, but their gender?" The woman crossed her legs and cocked her head, tapping a pen on her clipboard. Her Yale ID hung around her neck and was beginning to hide itself behind her suit jacket._

_"I'm sorry? Their…gender?" Quinn furrowed her eyebrows and thought about Finn, Puck, Sam, Adam, Artie, Joe and Alex. She thought about how they all failed to make her happy when most of them were genuinely good guys._

_"Yes. I know it's a hard thing to consider, but have you thought about dating women?"_

_Quinn's eyes widened at the suggestion. Then she began to panic. Since middle school (and possibly before), she held an attraction to women that she thought everyone else had too. It wasn't until high school when she'd be in the locker room letting her eyes wander over the curve of a Cheerio's ass or the way another's nipples would pucker through the fabric of a lace bra did she realize the other cheerleaders weren't looking at each other that way. So she learned to hide it._

_She was afraid at first. As if the realization that she liked looking at girls that way would show somehow, like a red stamp on her forehead that said LESBIAN. _

_She tried to stay in denial until she left for college, but meeting girls there in her major had her thinking about dating and touching and things she was supposed to want with every guy whose heart she'd broken in the past. Now, sitting in front of the therapist after being asked that question, she began to sweat. The stamp was back._

_"I…I don't know."_

_"Quinn, I think you may want to simply try it. College is not only for getting an education, it's for discovering yourself. Do you think you've ever been in love with a girl?"_

_"No…I don't…think so…"_

_"What about Mercedes?" the woman asked. Quinn felt her throat get dry. She didn't realize she brought up the diva so much in the sessions but now that she thought about it, she brought her up at least once every day. It was just that Mercedes was the only girl who ever saw something different in Quinn and encouraged her to be better. She gave a shit when no one else did. Even when she re-joined the Cheerios and ignored her, Mercedes still welcomed her with open arms when she needed them. Living with her over the latter half of her pregnancy still flashed in her dreams. Their talks, her smile, how she would sleep with her at night to make sure she was okay…_

_"What about her?" she asked, attempting to sound nonchalant._

The rest of her time at Yale had been spent dating around and becoming more acquainted with the small LGBT community on campus. She liked it. She liked girls. And now she was able to say it out loud. When she skyped with Santana, her friend laughed at her for becoming the "stereotypical lesbo" and cutting her hair off, and Quinn laughed as well. She'd gotten to a point where she could actually joke about it.

What she hadn't come to accept by the time she saw Sam in Lima was the fact that she was in love with Mercedes. Always had been. She was afraid to see her in fear of falling harder as soon as she laid eyes on her friend again. But now, standing in front of the building, her time of avoiding Mercedes was over. Another lifetime of apologizing to Sam was going to begin.

She took a deep breath and walked up to the building, pressing the button by EVANS/PUCKERMAN on the box and waiting.

"Hello?" it buzzed.

"It's me!" she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"Quinn?" She recognized the voice as Puck's.

"Yep!" The door buzzed open and she grabbed it, pulling her suitcase and duffel bags behind her (easily, thanks to the gym in her dorm at school). She got on the elevator and took several deep breaths until she got to their floor. When she did, she searched for their room number and as she raised her fist to knock, it was yanked open and she was ambushed by a hug from Puck.

"Good to see you too!" she exclaimed, laughing. He grinned and let go, bending down to get her bags and bring them in. She followed him and Sam was right in the kitchenette. They looked at each other for a few seconds before he gave a half-smile and opened his arms. She grinned and walked over to accept his welcome hug.

"Quinn, your hair!" She tensed at the sound of Mercedes's voice and pulled away from Sam, turning around to see the short woman walking out of a room to where they all stood. She bit her lip to keep her jaw from dropping. Mercedes was practically glowing, her dark locks framing her pretty face and the Avengers t-shirt she wore stretching over her figure. It clearly belonged to Sam. She took her in, noting that the diva was _not _a teenager anymore. Living with her would be harder that she anticipated.

"Mercedes…" she uttered. The girl rolled her eyes and crossed over to hug her. Quinn wrapped her arms around her and took in the scent of her shampoo, scolding herself inwardly to keep her hands in a platonic location. When they parted, Mercedes reached up and ran her fingers through Quinn's pixie cut.

"It's all gone!"

"I know, I know. But do you like it?" she asked.

"You have the face to pull it off," Mercedes told her. Quinn blushed and Sam raised an eyebrow at that. He never knew her to blush like that. Puck clapped his hands together and looked at the clock.

"How about we show Miss Fabray the kick ass Los Angeles we've come to love?"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm prepared to hear a TON of 'I KNEW IT's so lay em on me! Haha. I stand by Quinn and Sam's relationship being a sham. I'd go into detail but come on, we all know that wasn't real. It moved way too fast and was based on all the wrong things. Quinn and Mercedes have WAY more backstory. And if you know me, you know I believe Quinn is gay.<strong>

**ANYWAY, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feedback fuels my brain!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the new chapter! It's not very long, but it's important, so I hope you enjoy. Sorry for any mistakes I missed. Feedback is much appreciated (and awesome and sometimes hilarious)!**

* * *

><p><em>"You're seriously the prettiest girl I've ever seen, Quinn."<em>

_The two girls had decided to go back to their sleepover days (if they'd been friends) and spend the evening watching chick flicks, talking about boys and doing make-overs. They were seated at the counter in Mercedes' bathroom and Quinn's make-up was all done. She was now working on Mercedes._

_"You know…people say that all the time. But I've never actually believed it until just now when you said it."_

_"That's because it's true."_

_"What if I said the same thing to you?" the blonde said, setting the blush brush down._

_"I wouldn't believe you," Mercedes replied. She wasn't sad; she simply smiled at her reflection. Quinn pulled her hair back and stared into the mirror, cocking her head._

_"You don't know how pretty you are?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"I do…just, not to people like you. I mean, I'd date me in a second," she told her, looking up. Quinn laughed and shook her head._

_"Well for the record, so would I."_

_Mercedes liked having Quinn around. The version she knew most of her life was cold, only looking at her to glare or mouth 'You suck.' But since that year, she'd seen the blonde in another light; it was just too bad she had to get pregnant so early for the real her to come out. This Quinn kept calling her her best friend, snuggling close to her on the family room couch, and telling her all her secrets and fears. In a couple of months, Mercedes knew Quinn better than anyone else._

_Even when she re-claimed her spot as captain of the Cheerios and Mercedes went back to not existing, she knew the girl was more than a high ponytail and prom queen status. The time they spent together wasn't erased; she would always know the real Quinn._

"What are you thinking about?" Sam asked, reaching for her hand to lace his fingers with hers. He came to walk home with her from work like he usually did and she'd been lost in thought for a solid five minutes.

"Oh…uh, Quinn," she replied, squeezing his hand. He was silent for a few moments before taking a deep breath and looking down at her.

"What about Quinn?"

"Well…how I'm oddly glad she's here. I missed her. If we don't think about the psychic and whatever, then what's left is the girl I used to consider my sister, who I loved spending time with. We never really got back to that point, and I want to now," she told him.

"I get what you're saying. But I still think you should be careful. I miss Quinn too, but you have to remember she's not all good. She has a tendency to be selfish and when she gets like that, the girl you love kinda…disappears."

"You're saying that because of what she did to you when you two dated, but I know her…"

"No, I'm saying this because that's how Quinn_ is_. It's great that you want to reconnect with her, but don't put her on a pedestal, Cedes. She's a great girl, but she's the same girl who was best friends with you until she was Queen Bee again, when you were back to being a blimp on her radar. When I came to McKinley, I would have never assumed you guys were as close as you were. And that's because that's what she wanted everyone to think. She only acknowledged you in glee club because in her mind, no one of importance to her social status was in the choir room. Except for me and the kids who'd already seen every side of her."

"I was important, she just…"

"She just what, Mercedes? Wanted everyone to think otherwise? I'd think you were important enough to where she'd stop and talk to you in the hallways, but I guess not. At least not before she won prom queen. Oh wait, even after she lost that she ignored you. It took another mental breakdown for you to exist to her again. Even then—"

"Shut up!" she yelled, snatching her hand away from his. His eyebrows were raised and he was slightly taken aback by her outburst, immediately regretting this conversation.

"Just…shut up, Sam." She shook her head and went into their apartment building. He hadn't even notice they were there and stood on the sidewalk for a few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

When he finally went upstairs and opened the door of their apartment, he was met being poked in the chest by the thin blonde they'd just been discussing.

"What did you do to her!?" she accused. He slapped her hand away and made his way to his bedroom, where he knew Mercedes had holed herself up.

"Sam! I'm talking to you!" Quinn yelled, hot on his feet. He stopped and spun around, glaring at her. She was the reason they were fighting and the last thing he needed was her in his face, making him feel bad about upsetting his fiancé. He felt bad enough without her help. Especially _her_ help.

"I'm aware. But right now I'm going to talk to Mercedes," he said as calmly as he could.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You clearly upset her! I don't know how often this happens, but it's a good thing I'm here to—"

"NO OFFENSE, QUINN," he yelled cutting her off. "But what happens between me and her is none of your fucking business." He turned on his heels and stormed the rest of the way to his room, opening the door and closing it behind him. Mercedes was lying in their bed, staring at the ceiling. He sighed and walked over, getting on and crawling over her.

"Sam…" she began when he just hovered there, staring down at her.

"Yes?"

"You're being creepy."

"I'm sorry."

"If you're sorry, then _stop _being creepy," she said when he didn't budge.

"No, I'm sorry for…saying what I said. It was harsh," he apologized.

"It was true," she admitted. "I just…I don't know, I hated that she turned on me. But it doesn't mean I never wanted her back. And now I have the chance to."

"I get that," he said, lowering himself and laying on her chest. He burrowed his head in between her cleavage, and she laughed, rolling her eyes. "So you're not mad at me?"

"No. I was just hoping you'd agree with me earlier instead of giving me a reality check."

"I'll always be honest with you, Cedes. Even if it means I don't get any later," he told her, causing her to laugh again.

"You'll probably get some tonight," she replied, grinning and biting a portion of her bottom lip.

"Yeah?" He lifted his head leaned in close to her face so their noses touched before kissing her long and slow.

"We could start now, take a break for dinner and start back up again later," he suggested against her lips, letting his hand travel up her dress.

"I don't know, we have roommates to pay attention to…" she began, trailing off with his fingers rubbed against the damp fabric in between her legs. He pressed down, making her sigh and bring her fingers up to play in his hair. He grinned, leaning in to kiss her again before the door opened, revealing Quinn holding a spatula.

He pulled his hand away from Mercedes' crotch and rolled over, glaring at the ceiling while the situation in his shorts was already at half-mast.

"Sorry to interrupt!" she said cheerfully. Mercedes sat up and fixed her hair, clearing her throat before responding.

"It's fine…what is it?"

"You guys like burgers, right? I'm making them for dinner."

"You came in here to tell us _that_?" Sam snapped. Quinn looked over at him icily, putting a hand on her hip.

"Nevermind him, he's a little grouchy. We love burgers," Mercedes interjected before the two blondes dove at each other's throats.

"Okay, good. Dinner in five!" she said, leaving.

"That's the third time she's cock-blocked us. I'm beginning to think she listens outside the door," Sam complained.

"I'm sure she's not doing it on purpose," she replied.

"Yeah, sure. We have a date in the shower later. I mean it," he told her, getting up and hobbling over to their bathroom.

* * *

><p>The next day that Mercedes had off work, she spent accompanying Quinn to auditions, ranging from short films, commercials and pilots. She was willing to take anything and Mercedes admired the fact that she'd been able to book so many without an agent. Her meeting with the record company went well, and when she wasn't thinking about Quinn, Sam or work, she was thinking about how excited she was to meet with the writers soon. She had <em>writers<em>.

"I think they liked me," Quinn said, coming back into the hallway filled with actresses where Mercedes waited for her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. They kept smiling and said they loved my look. One of them called it very…_Lip Service_. Don't know what that means, but I like it."

"I think that's a show about lesbians, Quinn." Mercedes chuckled and remembered stumbling across it on Netflix. "Pretty sure they called you lesbian chic."

"Well. That's cool too. I'll play a gay woman," she said, shrugging and taking her arm as they left the building.

"So was that it for today?" Mercedes asked.

"Yep. How about we head back to the apartment before the boys get home? We can have girl time like we used to," Quinn suggested.

"Yeah, but this time I think we should skip the make overs," she responded, laughing.

"And go straight to practicing kissing?" The blonde smirked and Mercedes laughed, almost having forgotten that Quinn was the one who taught her how to kiss. She called it vital information at the time and kept telling her that if they practiced, her first kiss with a boy she liked wouldn't be awkward because she'd know what to do. She ended up being right.

"I don't think so, Quinnie. Luckily I have someone to practice with now."

"Oh, right. Trouty Mouth," she replied with a lifeless laugh.

"You've never called him that," Mercedes said, laughing. "But yes." She bit her lip as she drifted to thoughts of her fiancé, smiling at how happy he made her even if he wasn't there.

"How often do you guys…you know…"

"Quinn!"

"I'm just curious!"

"Why?"

"Okay, new question. _How long_ have you guys done that?" Mercedes sighed and rolled her eyes before answering.

"I don't know…we did it the summer before he moved away."

"Mercedes!"

"What?"

"You guys hadn't even been together that long!" Quinn exclaimed.

"I know, but…I knew he was special. Turns out I was right," she said, waving her hand with the engagement ring on it.

"I guess so."

"So what happened to that guy you were dating up at Yale?" she asked, opening the door when they got to their building.

"Oh…it didn't work out. He didn't have…what I was looking for," Quinn answered, shrugging.

"Was he bad in bed?" Mercedes inquired, walking up with her friend right behind her.

"No…can I tell you a secret?" She was standing behind Mercedes now, waiting for her to unlock their door, wanting her to take her time because she smelled so good and she was so close.

"Sure," the singer replied, opening the door and walking in. Quinn closed it behind them and leaned against it, sighing before continuing.

"I've only had sex once."

Mercedes spun around and looked at her with wide eyes.

"When you got pregnant with Beth!?"

"Yeah…I just…didn't want to again! And when the opportunity presented itself in college, I was just never in the mood."

"Wow…well I'm sure you'll find the guys here pretty impressive. You'll find one to get you in the mood," she said, giggling and sitting on the couch. Quinn walked over and sat next to her.

"I don't know…maybe I'm supposed to be alone," she said playing with her hands.

"Don't say that. You're incredible. You'll find the right person soon," Mercedes told her, smiling and pinching her cheek to lighten the mood.

"Incredible? That's a strong word."

"It's true. You're beautiful, intelligent, determined, sweet…did I say beautiful?" she joked, smirking. Quinn's expression was serious however, and she licked her lips before reaching out to hold Mercedes' hands.

"Yeah, you did."

"Well I mean it. And even though it's not everything, you still take the cake," she said, pulling her hands in so they could hug. "You'll find someone Quinn. Just don't dwell on it."

They stayed in an embrace for several moments and Quinn took the opportunity to take in Mercedes' scent again. Vanilla and coconut with a hint of…Sam. It was like she carried him everywhere. When he was around, they were attached. He probably smelled slightly of her as well. Quinn wanted to wipe that away. To make her smell like lavender so everyone would know that Mercedes was hers; or would be. He hugged her tight her in vain.

Mercedes just let her, telling herself that her friend needed love and too many times in her life she had it taken from her.

Since she came to live with them, Quinn told herself she wouldn't rush anything. That she would take it slow and let Mercedes come to the realization that they belonged together and sexuality wasn't a factor. When two people are meant to be together, things like straight and gay didn't matter. They were just labels.

So she reminded herself that she was going to take it slow.

But the feeling of Mercedes' chest against her own and their simultaneous heartbeats had her feeling things she only dreamed about while she was away at school. She pulled away slightly and looked into her round brown eyes. As she stared back, Quinn had easily convinced herself she was thinking the same thing.

To test the waters, she leaned in and let their noses brush. When Mercedes didn't pull back, she went the rest of the way and pressed her lips to her full ones, deepening to kiss much too quickly. Mercedes' eyes widened and the door to the apartment opened. She pulled away and touched her lips, staring at Quinn with a look of complete shock.

"Quinn, I don't…" she began, until she realized the blonde wasn't looking at her. She turned around and saw Sam and Puck in the doorway. Puck's mouth was open in an amused and surprised expression, while Sam just stared at them, looking as if someone had slapped him in the face. Finally, he chuckled dryly and shook his head.

"Oh."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hope you enjoy the update! Sorry for any mistakes I missed and don't be afraid to give feedback. The things you guys say are always super helpful or just makes my day, haha.**

* * *

><p>"Sam?"<p>

He paced back and forth in their bedroom before taking his shirt off to change, something he did every day after work.

"Sam? Sam, say something."

He pulled on a ratty t-shirt and shut the drawer, taking a deep breath and finally looking at Mercedes, who stood by the closed door wringing her hands.

"What do you want me say, Mercedes?" he asked, slumping his shoulders. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"_Something_."

"Okay, how about I feel like an idiot?" he said, shrugging and laughing dryly.

"What?"

"All this time, I'm trying to convince you that you have my heart and I would never hurt you and Quinn isn't even a factor in my life! That psychic reading really fucked us up and you started doubting yourself and I made it my mission to remind you how much I fucking love you and how amazing you are. Howamazing _we_ are! And all this time, _I_ should have been the one who was worried!" he said, throwing his hands up. His eyes were slightly red and he was smiling. It wasn't the bright, optimistic smile she was used to; it was ironic.

"I…you don't have anything to worry about, Sam," she told him, reaching out but reconsidering and pulling her hand back.

"Funny, because I remember telling you that same thing when you would think about the reading and shut me out," he retorted.

"And you meant it, right? Well I mean it too. Quinn doesn't mean anything to me," she told him, folding her arms.

"See, but that's the thing. She _does _mean something to you. She means a lot to you. You had no problem telling me this when you didn't know she was after you. She and I dated for two seconds in high school, but she _lived _with you for months. You were close and you told me you wanted that again! How do you think I feel now?"

"Sam! I can't even believe you're saying this! I'm not romantically interested in Quinn. Even if I _was_ into girls, it wouldn't matter because I'm in love with you. I'm not checking for anyone else," she explained. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's just a lot to take in, okay 'Cedes? When we thought she'd be after me, I felt like…I had more control of the situation because I _knew _she meant nothing to me. But now…"

"Now what? I feel the same way!"

"I know, but I can't control how you feel! And Quinn's so…manipulative," he trailed off, biting his lip and watching as her features hardened.

"Oh, so I'm just so naïve and vulnerable and I couldn't possibly be a match for Quinn? I need you to protect me so I don't sucked into her vortex because I'm so weak?" she snapped.

"I didn't mean it like that, okay? But I can't read your mind. It makes me scared because I can control my feelings, but not yours."

"But you know my feelings. We've never lied to each other and we're not gonna start now," she said, walking closer to him.

"I know you wouldn't lie to me. I'm just afraid you'll feel sorry for her or feelings could grow or whatever because you care about her," he admitted.

"Quinn is like a sister to me. A legitimate sibling. Those are the only feelings that would grow for her. Trust me." She took his hands and smiled up at him.

"Yeah. Okay," he replied, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"I love you," she told him, kissing his knuckles.

"I love you too…"

"But?" She could tell by the look on his face that he was fighting the urge to say something else.

"I…"

"What?"

"I just…I need to talk to her," he said, pulling his hands away and walking around her to their door.

"Sam? Sam, really, I think you should wait…"

He ignored her and flung the door open, walking outside and briskly up to Quinn, who'd been pacing in the living area. Puck was on the couch with a sandwich and looked up, seeing the determined look on his best friend's face and trying to hide his excited look.

"Sam…you need to know—"

"Shut up, Quinn," he snapped, cutting her off. "There are a lot of things I want to say to you right now, but I'm gonna give you the bullet points."

"Okay…" The blonde glanced and Puck and Mercedes who were avoiding eye contact.

"You're disrespectful, selfish and manipulative. You don't take other people's feelings into account and if you do, you act like yours are more important. Mercedes is in love with me, I'm in love with her, and I think you should move out." A vein was pulsing in his temple. He wanted to say much more; he _had _so much more to say, but he knew it'd be best if he expressed how he felt in the shortest way possible. Mercedes wouldn't like it if he said the words he really wanted to.

"Move out?" Quinn repeated.

"I said that clearly, right?" he asked, glancing at Puck for the confirmation he didn't need.

"Well I don't think that's what Mercedes wants, so I'm not going to—"

"It's for the best, Quinn." Mercedes interrupted. "We have somethings to talk about…obviously…but I just think it's a bad idea for you to be in the same apartment as us. Especially knowing what I know now. It can't possibly be comfortable for you either."

"I don't mind…"

"She said it's for the best. And I don't want you here," Sam cut in. Quinn's eyes darkened and she sucked her lips in, staring Sam down before finally responding.

"Fine. I'll get a hotel."

* * *

><p>Sam was in deep thought on his bed, fiddling with the fabric of his t-shirt, only snapping out of it when he felt the plump lips of his fiancé on his neck.<p>

"Cedes…what are you doing?" he asked, a grin creeping onto his features as her hand slid across his torso.

"Nothing," she whispered against his skin. Her small hand dipped down and quickly unbuttoned his shorts before sinking into his boxer briefs.

"Fuck…nothing, huh?" he groaned, turning to face her. She shook her head and leaned in, locking her lips with his. He shifted and reached up to cup the back of her head and deepen the kiss. She complied and began stroking him, earning another groan.

Ten minutes later, they both stared at the cracks in the bedroom ceiling saying nothing. Mercedes bit her lip and twiddled her thumbs while Sam ran his hands over his face before sighing and turning to her.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. I hear it happens to everyone," she replied, smiling. He hadn't even realized she never came until the awkward silence afterward.

"I just…"

"No, I understand. It's an off day."

He sighed again and turned over, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him. He kissed her nose and pressed their foreheads together.

"I have too much on my mind, Cedes. I couldn't focus on you so I just…you know. When we make love, we just have that connection but my mind wasn't there."

"Where was it?" she asked, her voice quiet even though she knew the answer.

"The woman said Quinn would cause trouble in our marriage. We aren't even married yet and this shit is _just _starting. How much are we in charge of our future? What is she gonna do? Anything could happen and she'll always be around and I know you don't want to end your friendship with her and I don't know how to handle the situation at all," he vented.

She wasn't sure what to say. In a way he was right. The psychic had been right so far, but she was tired of worrying about it. And frankly, as much as she cared about Quinn, she was tired of hearing the girl's name. She missed the dynamic she had with Sam. When they didn't worry about much; just each other.

"We should go," she said after a few moments.

"Huh?"

"We should get out of town. Just us. For like a week. There's too much drama swirling around in our heads and we're spending more time being upset about what's gonna interfere with our relationship than actually _having_ a relationship. And now it's effecting the sex," she told him. He sighed.

"We just need to take some time to focus on each other and just _be together_. Get our heads back in the right place," she finished. He stared at her and smiled before pecking her on the lips.

"We need that," he agreed.

"We do."

"But we can't really afford a fancy trip, Mercedes. The surf shop pays well, but not that well. And we shouldn't spend most of your advance on a big trip before you even record…"

"Then we won't go anywhere fancy. We'll go to the lake," she said.

"The lake? In Lima?" he asked, laughing.

"Yes! We can stay in the hotel nearby and just cut ourselves off from everyone for a while. We won't even tell my parents we're coming there."

"You're serious?"

"I am. It'll be like summer again. Without having to watch Stacey and Stevie or having to keep quiet in the bedroom because my parents might come home," she replied. He grinned and nodded, liking the plan more and more.

"Okay. You're right."

* * *

><p>Sam and Mercedes finished packing early the next morning, deciding to get away as soon as possible. Derrick was annoyed when Sam called, asking him to cover his ass and Mercedes was in the clear with the recording company as long as she kept her phone on. Puck dropped them off at the airport and they went through security before sitting and waiting for the plane to board.<p>

Sam had run off briefly to go get candy and some coffee for her, so she sat by herself watching the bags. Her phone vibrated in her purse and she dug it out, sighing when she saw Quinn's name on it.

"Hello?" she answered, biting her lip.

"Hey Mercy," Quinn greeted. "I got that gum commercial audition. Can you believe it?"

"Wow! That's great, Quinnie. I'm really happy for you."

"I also found a roommate. It was super fast so I got lucky. I should be moving in later this week. She's an actress as well so that's cool," she went on.

"Really? Awesome."

"So…I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight or something. To celebrate my commercial. And…talk about what happened. I know you probably have a lot you want to say and I do too. You might be confused about some things and I need to explain…"

"We can talk when I get back," Mercedes interrupted.

"Back? From where?" she asked.

"Sam and I are going to get away for a little bit. We need some time to be alone together. Someplace intimate so we can focus on us," she explained. She heard Quinn sigh and could picture the blonde's pursed lips and raised eyebrows.

"Oh. Okay then. I guess we'll talk when you get back then. I have a lot to say."

"I know. Me too. But right now all my attention's gonna be on my fiancé."

"Right. I get that. Well have fun," Quinn said, hanging up. Mercedes put her phone away and on cue, Sam walked up with Skittles and her coffee. She took it from him and smiled.

"Are you excited? I'm gonna be pretty much the only face you see for a week," he said, sitting next to her.

"If I had to look at one person for a stretched out period of time, it would be you," she replied, smirking and sipping her coffee.

"Aw shucks," he said, batting his eyelashes and waving his hand. "I'm that pretty?"

"Like a girl," she answered.

"No! I'm man-pretty," he argued.

"Okay then. Man-pretty."

"Thank you," he said, leaning in and kissing her softly. She giggled and shook her head.

The speaker came on announcing their flight was boarding and Sam stood, grabbing their carry-ons. She held her purse and followed him, unable to stop smiling. She was really looking forward to getting away with him, even if it was back to Ohio. It may have seemed ridiculous to an outsider, but it made perfect sense to her. They were getting back to the roots of their romance.

They needed this.


End file.
